Again, this was a bit of an anomaly, Mr. Payne, in terms of how the military judges were out of step in terms of their tenure. After their appointment, they had to renew their tenure every five years.
There were concerns that were set out in the Lamer report specifically about their job security, for lack of a better word, and how this could potentially impact on them, a consideration around retirement age. To address the concerns that were there outlined in the report, to address concerns that I've had expressed to me about the job security and the fact that the tenure of military judges was out of step with the justice system, I think this amendment properly addresses that in a way that mirrors now our civil system and will enhance the perception of judicial independence, which was also a concern that was raised by members of this committee, and it was discussed in the House.
Judicial independence is very important. It's consistent with what we're trying to accomplish here. It's consistent with the tenure of judges in the Canadian civilian justice system. For all of those reasons, I think we have struck a proper balance with this amendment.