Justice committee  [Technical difficulty--Editor] especially with respect to the education would be, I think, more favourable than the way it is currently articulated.

Justice committee  With respect to the act, I think the reporting certainly addresses some of that concern. This would really only affect new judges, those who haven't been appointed as yet. All judges are subject to new judges' training, so we do think this should be the area where it's specifical

Justice committee  That's actually something that occurs anyway at this point. Right now, if there are vulnerable witnesses, be they adults or children, they can testify in another room. There are mechanisms in the current Criminal Code that are essential almost by default. The defence would have t

Justice committee  Yes. In terms of the social context, that is precisely our concern, that the unconscious bias issues, the cultural competency issues, are not addressed in this. I know that in the last panel there was some discussion on whether you can begin the training and then return to it lat

Justice committee  The only way I think you're going to be able to get it is through the intervention of police agencies, and at least documenting or providing.... They would be the best because they're the ones on the front line, then the prosecution, and I would include race-based statistics. The

Justice committee  Looking just at the human trafficking as distinct from the prostitution, I think it is fine the way it is, because for one thing, the case law has also indicated that in terms of the offence itself there is a big difference between the application of human trafficking and, in con

Justice committee  That's correct. In addition, even if—and I want to be clear—somebody pleads to the lesser offence of procuring, for example, they will still read in the aggravating factors. If they are serving a penitentiary sentence, that will be something that follows along with them when the

Justice committee  That's fair. Again, the human trafficking can be used for a plea bargain tool on behalf of the crown. In terms of people purchasing sex, I can't think of any cases. I mean, I just can't, so—

Justice committee  Exactly.

Justice committee  I think it is. As I said, there are definitely people who are absolute victims, and that can't be lost. Certainly the criminal justice system needs to intervene when that comes into play. My concern is when it overreaches and takes people who are victims, who then seem to be a

Justice committee  My thoughts are that when you have those words, they seem to address the concern, but what you'll have is, I think, a defendant who will be less likely to take responsibility when the word torture is attached to the criminal offence. It's the same with human trafficking. When yo

Justice committee  I thank you, Chair, and members of the committee. It is an honour to speak on behalf of the Canadian Council of Criminal Defence Lawyers. I want to let the committee know that I speak not only as a defence lawyer but also as somebody who has represented, in human-trafficking cas