Even if the study of Bill 92 on a tribunal specializing in sexual and conjugal violence is progressing, the potential reaction of the Court of Quebec sits like a “sword of Damocles” above the legislative measure, plead elected officials. .
Opposition MPs Isabelle Melançon, Christine Labrie and Véronique Hivon made a joint outing on Thursday to comment on the most recent amendments made by the Minister of Justice to his legislative text. According to Ms. Hivon, these changes in no way guarantee a positive response from the Court, which has been at daggers drawn with Quebec since the presentation of PL92.
“It is a sword of Damocles which hovers above our heads, slipped Ms. Hivon, Thursday afternoon. We can pass the best bills possible. If there are major irritants which cause the Court, which is responsible for a large part of the application of all this, to remain reluctant and then consider a challenge, the victims will not be further ahead. “
“That makes that a source of concern,” she added.
If the bill is adopted, the tribunal will be integrated into the Court of Quebec. However, this new division “does not reflect” the position of the Court, maintains the Chief Justice, Lucie Rondeau, who has never excluded prosecution in the case.
The stake of the name
On Thursday, Judge Rondeau’s executive assistant maintained that she had no “comment to make on the current legislative process.” The Court was also not heard in parliamentary committee last week.
In a brief, the Court of Quebec and the Conseil de la magistrature had nevertheless expressed significant reservations about the name of the “tribunal”. Tuesday, Simon Jolin-Barrette tried to add water to his wine by proposing the creation of a “specialized division” in matters of sexual and domestic violence within the court itself.
The Court has already launched its own section in this area. The Marriage and Sexual Charges Division (ACCES) renders several articles of Bill 92 obsolete, according to Justice Rondeau.
“So why don’t we give the name that the judge already has to her specialized division?” Then why do we not show this opening ?, asked Véronique Hivon, Thursday. Okay, the minister refused. “
Obstacles to the bill?
According to the Liberal Party, Québec solidaire and the Parti Québécois, several amendments to the legislative measure present additional issues. According to Mmes Hivon, Labrie and Melançon, Minister Jolin-Barrette would even open the door to limiting the installation of the court in certain districts only, which the principal concerned denies tooth and nail.
The exit of the three main opposition groups on Thursday did not bring a smile to the Minister of Justice, who accused his colleagues of “not telling the truth” and of putting obstacles in the way of the bill.
“They tell us, ‘ah, we’re in the transpartisan spirit.’ [Mais] rather than come and study the article, we’re going to have a press briefing on TV. It’s really cross-partisan! », He quipped in parliamentary committee.
Liberal MP Isabelle Melançon argues that we must listen to the victims and follow the recommendations of the report Rebuild trust, which gave rise to the reflections on the specialized tribunal. “There have been two years of work. Even if we take a few days to study a bill, we have to do things right, and we are there to make it better, ”she said.
According to the member for Quebec solidaire Christine Labrie, the bill still has chances of being adopted “before Christmas”. “It’s progressing well,” she maintained.
The deputies still have ten articles to study so that the PL92 proceeds towards an adoption.