Mr. Chair, at the risk of repeating what I have said before this committee and the Standing Committee on Justice, I think that it is essential for the Supreme Court justices to be able to understand both official languages. Our laws are not translated; they are written in both official languages. In 1935, the Supreme Court clearly established that the French version had equal force of law. Moreover, it is often up to the Supreme Court to clarify the meanings of laws, given the nuances that might arise between the English and French versions.
Individuals also have the right to be represented by counsel who can put their cases before the Supreme Court in the language they are most familiar with.
With all due respect to the interpreters, I think that nuances are often lost. Furthermore, with unilingual justices on the Supreme Court, all in camera discussions among the justices must be held in a single language, even if all the points of argument, submissions and documentation are in French.