Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Farrant, thank you again for being here, but I have these same questions to ask and I don't have a lot of time. It's hard to get through all of this in five minutes and two and a half minutes, including questions. So I'll ask my question of Mr. Cooper, if I may, Mr. Farrant, since he worked on Bill C‑417, the forerunner of this bill, so to speak, and on this one.
I haven't seen many instances where the negative effects of such bills have been discussed. I don't want to be a spoilsport, but there are always two sides to a coin. We know that in Quebec, the Professional Code, among other things, requires professionals, therapists and others to keep secret the discussions they have with their clients. This might seem to be watertight, but there are cases where the professional may be allowed to disclose what the client or patient has said to him. For example, if they are being sued by a patient who decides that they have had bad service, if the law allows them to do so, or if they want to prevent an act of violence, such as when someone talks about suicide, the professional may disclose what they are told, even when it has been done in confidence. These are extreme and rare cases, but it is a possibility. This is what I called a possible breach of confidentiality earlier. I am concerned about this breach, and I ask you to reassure me.
Have there been any studies, to your knowledge, Mr. Cooper, of the effect that this possibility has had on jurors, who must be able to rely on confidentiality to express themselves freely? Are there really any studies on this issue?