Even if we can find the public funds to do it, I still feel there would essentially be a two-tier system in place. We have these marginalized people who are now accessing legal aid lawyers. As we know, legal aid lawyers are unfortunately very overworked. Then we have more privileged complainants who are able to access their own private counsel.
Again, this is a situation where there's going to be a two-tier system. We're essentially allowing marginalized people to be further marginalized. There are serious problems about those optics, and also how it's going to play out in people's experience of the justice system. If we're looking to support and help complainants in feeling as though they are having better access to justice, this isn't the way to do it.
Crown counsel is there to assist them, and crown counsel should have better training. I believe Ms. Savard brought that up earlier. This can be properly addressed and properly dealt with through crown counsel. Creating a right for a third-party lawyer not only frustrates the system and frustrates the role of the crown, but also creates a system whereby we have a two-tier system.