Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have return to a question asked by Mrs. Marie-Jewell on Monday, February 24th. A question was asked as to whether there is a process by which the Minister of Justice of the Northwest Territories can express public concern to the judiciary. The honourable Member recognized the principle of independence of the judiciary and expressed concern regarding a specific decision which was recently rendered.

It is the role of our Legislature and of Parliament to enact the laws which judges apply. Parliament is responsible for enacting laws regarding criminal offences.

The independence of the judiciary is a fundamental imperative of our constitution and our system of justice. Judges individually shall be free, and it is their duty to decide matters before them impartially, in accordance with their assessment of the facts and their understanding of the law without any restrictions, influences or pressures, direct or indirect, for any reason. The single most important remedy for judicial decisions which are inappropriate is appeal. In the Northwest Territories, the Attorney General of Canada, who is accountable to Parliament, is responsible for criminal prosecutions and has a role in deciding whether or not to appeal a decision.

With the above in mind, Mr. Speaker, I can forward to the Chief Judge, for his information, excerpts of Hansard which refer to a decision, but it will be for his information only and not for the purpose of interfering with the independence of the judiciary. Thank you.