Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'm going to pick up where Mr. Garrison left off, on mandatory training. I think it's interesting.
One thing I'm quite passionate about is the issue of secondary victimization. I believe you outlined that in your opening statement. I can't tell you how many victims I have seen who have described the court process itself as worse than the initial offence. It's not always the case, but it's never easy and it's often unduly burdensome. Often, that comes down to things like adjournments, applications under section 276 of the Criminal Code maybe being brought late and things like that.
I find it very interesting. I think this really applies more to federal appointments than to provincial appointments. Provincial court judges typically deal with small claims, family court and criminal court. They are typically going to come from criminal law or family law. For a federal appointment, someone could be a construction litigator, for instance. That could be where they made their mark in their legal career. Then, two months later, they're doing a jury trial for a complicated sexual assault.
I'm very interested in the issue of secondary victimization and I want to pick up on the issue of education and ongoing education.
Would you agree that we are just now starting to really understand how victims react and that this is a fluid research area that we are making strides in as we speak?