Good afternoon, Chief Justice Fournier and Mr. Grondin.
Before I became a member of Parliament, I practised as a lawyer in Acadia. As you know, New Brunswick is an officially bilingual province. You said earlier that there are two opaque walls to the east and the west of Quebec that prevent your neighbours from reading what you write. Curiously, in my case, the situation is quite the opposite. When I began to practice law in French, Quicklaw had only just appeared, the Internet was not yet up to the task, and we were not able to get data. So, to be able to read decisions in French, I went and read those from Quebec, including the ones on criminal law and bankruptcy law.
I am very familiar with the situation. It is true that English Canada does not know the legal legacy and evolution of Quebec society, even though it is a part of Canada. That is a major shortcoming. Things really have to be put right. So I would like to ask you a practical question.
What happens with court of appeal decisions in Quebec? Does the province of Quebec require your decisions to be translated simultaneously, even before they are made public?