Mr. Chairman, it is really not complicated. I was astounded to learn that, in the case of a summary trial, an individual may be hit with a judicial record.
I understand full well that military justice must be stringent and rigorous. It has always been said that military justice cannot be a replica of civil justice. However, I find that it is really an exaggeration that someone who leaves his or her post to go to the washroom and then reports to his or her commanding officer can be told that because he or she left his or her post —and there is no interest in knowing if it was to go to the washroom or not —, he or she will have a judicial record. It is absolutely essential that this situation be corrected, because I find that the penalty is very much exaggerated compared with the seriousness of the infraction.
Consequently, amendment BQ-7.1 would remedy this situation. As for the superior commander — we will be looking later on at amendment BQ-7.2, pertaining to the superior commander —, the same type of reasoning will apply.
I do not know if I had made myself clear, but, in essence, we no longer wish to see people coming out of a summary trial with a criminal record.