Yes, sir, we can discuss the case of an individual soldier coming back from a mission abroad with a disability. There is a process to have the disability recognized. First, there is a form to fill out, of course. Then, the level of disability of the veteran is assessed by physicians who have been certified by the department. These are usually physicians who have a private practice or who work in civilian or military hospitals. So the group of medical specialists assesses the level of disability and then gives its reports to the veteran.
If the veteran's disability is recognized, the file goes through all the normal channels of the Defence Department. It is transferred to the Pension Service and to the Department of Finance which ultimately validates or invalidates the pension application. If the pension is validated, it will be paid out. However, if the veteran does not agree with the rate of disability assessed by the medical specialists, or if there is no finding of level of disability, a review is conducted by a commission of reform comprised of military officers who are still in service and chaired by a military doctor. If the veteran disagrees with the finding of the commission of reform, the veteran has six months to file an appeal with the provincial Pension Tribunal. The applicant can also file an appeal with the regional Pension Tribunal. So the appeal would move from the provincial to the regional level and the matter could ultimately be appealed to the Conseil d'État, which is the highest Court of Appeal. This court hears cases involving rights, including pension rights.
To summarize, if there is a consensus, the medical specialist assesses the level of disability, and the level of disability is ultimately validated by the Department of Defence and the Finance Department. However, if there is disagreement, there is a legal avenue available to the applicant, which begins at the provincial level, and moves to the regional level, and ultimately ends up at the federal level, the Cour de Cassation, the highest appellate court, in cases where the applicant is not satisfied or where the government maintains its original assessment.