I have a general question. Perhaps Colonel Gibson can elaborate a little bit.
This is a rather long and elaborate provision that mostly deals with the sentence of imprisonment for life.
Colonel, how often has such a sentence been contemplated or carried out in the military, using the system of military justice as opposed to the ordinary courts? Treason is obviously a pretty serious offence, and there were circumstances up until 1998 where the sentence of death was in the National Defence Act, even though it was removed from the Criminal Code.
Why is it necessary to have such an elaborate provision here for the sentence of life imprisonment and the possibilities of parole? Wouldn't a serious crime, as we recently saw with Sub-Lieutenant Delisle, be tried in the civil courts as opposed to being reserved for court martial?