I'm going to jump in here. Thank you for that.
I think part of what seems to be missing from this.... The CBA has two national resolutions, and our resolution that the Criminal Code is sufficient is from 2011. That continues to be the position of the CBA, until we have a change. That is where this position starts with.
Part of our point is that there needs to be a lot more education on a more societal basis. The tools may be there and, yes, possibly they could be enhanced; that's not what the CBA is here to discuss today.
My concern is that, for example, where domestic violence comes to, “We separated the two individuals. We talked to them separately and asked them to figure it out”, on the elder-abuse front, often what creates the shades of grey is the introduction of the issue of dementia. Dementia is time-specific, activity-specific, it's location-specific. There needs to be much more implementation of that national dementia strategy, and having those conversations with all of the members of the justice community so that they understand that just because somebody is apparently incapable at the time doesn't mean that the suspected abuser gets a pass.
That's the point I want to convey. It's so much more than just the provisions of the Criminal Code. It's actually using them, whether there is a new one or it's the existing ones. That, to me, is not the issue. The issue to me is supporting those people on the front lines who are making these decisions, who are in place, so the police who want to lay charges have the support of the prosecutors and judges who understand what's going on. That was really what I was trying to add.
Thank you.