The FAJEF's view is that the bilingualism self-assessment is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough. There must be an evaluation. In the system, people declare themselves to be bilingual too often. They are certainly bilingual enough to be able to communicate in both official languages in a social setting. But it is another thing entirely to be able to hear witness and fully understand evidence, because that requires very specific language knowledge.
These days, the Supreme Court hears the most complex and technical of cases, ones that have not been able to be resolved elsewhere. So the judges are called upon to resolve extremely complex matters. In that context, litigants must constantly be wondering whether the judge understands them when they use the technical and precise terminology of a complicated principle. It's a question I often ask myself in my area of practice. That is why it is essential to be able to measure the true ability of already sitting judges who call themselves bilingual, as well as the ability of those who are seeking judges' positions that are designated bilingual.