We are independent, but our mandate is to support the administration of justice. We do not work for either the Crown nor for the defence; we work for the court. We report on facts and present analyses before the courts, and the judge assesses the evidence. Crown prosecutors and defence attorneys do their work. We do not do legal work, but it is our job to say that a given forensic analysis led to a given result.
Earlier, Ms. Séguin referred to a young man in the City of Quebec who incriminated himself in a sexual assault case. When we presented the DNA evidence, we managed to get this young man with a mental illness outside of the legal arena so he could consult a psychologist or a psychiatrist. He really needed a psychiatrist and a psychologist more so than he needed jail; it wasn't the right place for him.
We are independent and we provide the courts with forensic expertise. If the processing of a sample is slow, our clients, either the coroner's office or a police force can ask us, when a trial is imminent, or in a given case, to try to make it a priority, and we will do so. Obviously, the lack of staff and funding slows things down.