Discussion · Government Orders
David McGuinty Liberal
“This bill builds trust in the military. Since 2021, all military sexual crimes have been handled by regular civilian police and courts. Making this the official law will give everyone more certainty.”
“As I mentioned a moment ago, which I will repeat for the member’s benefit, Mr. Speaker, this is entirely about trust. It is about trust for the women and men in our armed forces today, for them to know that when it comes to Criminal Code sexual offences, they will be prosecuted and investigated on the outside of the department and the Canadian Armed Forces. In fact, that has been the case since the fall of 2021. The member may not be aware that every new case has been referred to the civilian courts since the fall of 2021. As a result, we are seeing progress, trust is enhanced, and were we to formalize this, it would give us more clarity and certainty.”
Official Hansard
As I mentioned a moment ago, which I will repeat for the member’s benefit, Mr. Speaker, this is entirely about trust. It is about trust for the women and men in our armed forces today, for them to know that when it comes to Criminal Code sexual offences, they will be prosecuted and investigated on the outside of the department and the Canadian Armed Forces. In fact, that has been the case since the fall of 2021. The member may not be aware that every new case has been referred to the civilian courts since the fall of 2021. As a result, we are seeing progress, trust is enhanced, and were we to formalize this, it would give us more clarity and certainty.