Thank you, Mr. Grammond, for your explanation. You clearly set out why Supreme Court judges must be bilingual.
You mentioned that the interpretation issue isn't the only thing at stake. I know we focus on interpretation a great deal, but it's not the only aspect. You said so yourself. There's also the fact that many publications, which the judges would need to consult, are available only in French. There are also all the documents submitted as evidence that are in only one of the two official languages. The judges must read and understand the two written languages, because the two languages are equal. They must be able to compare the two languages to interpret things properly.
I know the Liberals, New Democrats and a number of Conservatives, I believe, also think only bilingual judges should be appointed to the Supreme Court. I think it's a fairly common view.
At this time, the difficulty is knowing whether we want legislation on the bilingualism of Supreme Court judges. You mentioned that people say that this could be unconstitutional. I don't have the Nadon decision before me, but I know it clearly states that, as you said, the focus is only on cases of judge eligibility in relation to Quebec. However, all other eligibility requirements remain discretionary. The judges haven't made any decisions on them.
Can you comment on this?