[See appendix—Remarks by Megan Walker]
I would now like to welcome our guests.
To our witnesses, I'm very sorry that we are running late and starting late today. We did have three votes, but we're all here now and ready for this.
As witnesses today we have with us, as an individual, Francis Fortin, associate professor, school of criminology, Université de Montréal; Jean-Pierre Guay, professor, school of criminology, Université de Montréal; as an individual, Corinne Paterson, obstetrician and gynecologist; from Luke's Place Support and Resource Centre for Women and Children, Pamela Cross, legal director; from the Recovery Science Corporation, Peter Marshall, chief executive officer; and Cee Strauss, staff lawyer, Women's Legal Education and Action Fund.
I'd like to thank each and every one of you for joining us. I'm going to be granting you five minutes each for your opening statement. You're going to see me start hooting and hollering over here, but since we have a large panel, I will be cutting you off at that five-minute point.
I am going to pass the floor to our first witness, Francis Fortin, with the Université de Montréal.
Francis, you have the floor for five minutes.