Thank you very much. Again, that's something that's very near and dear to my heart. I fought to get that provision in my mandate letter in 2019 and to get it repeated in my mandate letter in 2021.
It is simply the case that it is too hard in Canada to have wrongful convictions reviewed. I see, on average, just over one a year in my office, and yet there are so many more examples that have happened. It doesn't serve anybody to keep innocent people in jail. It serves absolutely nobody. It doesn't serve victims. It doesn't serve the criminal justice system, and it doesn't serve people's confidence in the criminal justice system.
Every single ex post facto report over the last 30 years in Canada that has looked at a wrongful conviction or a series of wrongful convictions has recommended an independent commission, which is more effective, more efficient and less costly and takes the final decision-making out of the hands of the minister. That is precisely what this commission has done. It has been well received by experts across Canada in the domain, who see it as something that's long overdue.
The U.K. has had one for 25 years, and Scotland has a separate one. It has resulted in more people getting their convictions reviewed, with much less time and effort, and much less cost.
This is something that will serve Canadians well, and it will actually reinforce confidence in the justice system. I was proud to bring that bill forward. I'm hoping that this committee will study it soon. We hope it is on the list of priorities that our House leader annunciates before rising and that the bill gets to this committee. I hope that this committee will then do a proper study on it in order to bring it forth as soon as possible.