Justice committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Fortin raises a very important point, which is that the members of the public whom he serves and whom all of the lawyers involved in the criminal justice system serve are aware of the public perception of what we do. The answer is that if we eliminate certain mandatory minimums or, as the CBA recommends, all mandatory minimums except for murder, it doesn't mean that people don't need to go to jail as denunciation of their conduct or that those using firearms in a violent way won't end up in jail.

Justice committee  Mr. Chair, if I could answer Mr. Garrison's question, mandatory minimum sentences are generally less than two years, which means that any offender who is sentenced to that period of time will spend it in a provincial jail. Conditional sentences must, by definition, be less than two years.

Justice committee  Mr. Chair, Mr. Garrison raises a very important issue. Normally speaking—and I've been doing this for over 20 years—I have clients who come to me all the time and say, “Look, you know what, I did it. I want to accept responsibility for my actions and I want to receive my sentence.”

Justice committee  Any piece of legislation that encourages people to resolve their cases for just disposition will free up resources. Over time, we will see a faster justice system, which is beneficial to the accused, to victims and to the system in general.

Justice committee  Good afternoon, Mr. Chair. As Mr. Paisana mentioned, my name is Jody Berkes. I join you today from the traditional territory of the Wendat, the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Métis nation. This land is covered by the Dish With One Spoon treaty.