Thank you again, Minister. I'm pleased to have this follow-up.
Your government has now been in power for nearly 19 months. We had the Jordan decision rendered in the summer of last year. I agree with you that it's not just appointing judges that will fix the delays in our justice system. There are many different areas. I think the Canadian Bar Association came out with a top 10 list. I think number one was appointing enough judges. Our criticisms are valid in that it has taken a while to get to this process and we would urge you to do it a bit faster. Nineteen months is a fairly long time. But they've also talked about adequately resourcing legal aid, and as you know this committee is currently conducting a study on legal aid, and I certainly hope you will listen to our recommendations.
Also, one of the biggest ones was resourcing the system. On that particular point, I want to concentrate on the resources because, of course, courts need a lot of administrative staff. They need the places in which to sit. There are a lot of people involved in making sure that a well-functioning court system is operational. I think you would agree with me that Canadians need to have faith in our justice system. It's one of the main pillars of our democracy. I know that you're concerned, as we are, that when serious criminal charges are being stayed or withdrawn, Canadians start to lose faith in that. It's a very real issue.
In light of the resource part, I want to know from you, from your department, in your opinion, how many resources in our courts and in our police are currently tied up with the crime of cannabis possession? As a follow-up, does the Department of Justice have any figures on the number of people who have been charged and arrested for minor cannabis possession since your government came to power?