Mr. Speaker, first, I thank the member for Etobicoke Centre for his kind remarks and compliment of my work on the defence committee.
The statement the member read from the report of the late Mr. Justice Antonio Lamer is an important one. It is a fundamental tenet of military justice overview. There are a number of other matters as well that become evident if one reads more closely to what Justice Lamer said. There are differences between military justice and civilian justice and part of it has to do with the operational aspect.
For example, in a combat zone, we do not have the same leisure to deal with matters, particularly if they involve discipline. I think it is widely recognized around the world that military justice is different and the need for a prompt response to matters than can affect morale and operational security is extremely important.
I agree with the general principle that there needs to be a separate military justice system, but it also must be closely examined to ensure that we do not go beyond what is necessary for the sake of having an efficient military. Indeed, it has been enunciated here that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms must be considered applicable to the situation. Although, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms itself says that it can be modified if it is proven to be necessary for operational reasons. Section 1 of the charter is an exception system.