Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize for being out of the House for a moment. I think, Mr. Speaker, the question that was put forward was based on the matter of who was actually issuing, in particular, a summons, and who was responsible for that particular matter.
I want to say, Mr. Speaker, I can agree with you that the matter of the sub-judice convention is a matter that is strictly applied when the matter is dealing with criminal issues. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, that this particular matter, this is a civil proceeding, and it has not yet been forwarded for criminal investigation, and criminal proceeding.
I think, as in most cases, I can agree with you, and apply, at least on my part, the rule of the sub-judice convention to those particular matters. But generally speaking, it has been the practice in most jurisdictions, and in fact, in our own House, that we have been quite liberal about the application of the sub-judice convention when the matters are not being dealt with in the civil proceeding. But it is in comment, always on the part of the Members, to be cognizant of the sub-judice convention, and it is only for the Speaker to, what you might say, be involved in a minimal context, because freedom of speech itself is significant, and it is an important factor in the proceedings of this House.
I would not in any way challenge your ability to arbitrate in the final analysis the decision and the rules and the proceedings of this House, but I would urge you, in your own deliberations, to recognize the liberal interpretation normally given to the sub-judice convention, when applying it to the proceedings of Legislature, or House of Commons, because if you apply it too narrowly, then the freedom of speech, and the ability of Members' to speak on issues, I think, can be subject to severe restraint.
I would ask, Mr. Speaker, in your own deliberations, to view the question in the context that it was put, and that was to ask who was actually responsible for issuing the documentation, to actually insure that the proceedings were to take place.
But again, Mr. Speaker, I wanted you to be aware there are no settled practices that have been developed in relation to civil cases, and the Act should be as the convention has been applied in some cases, but not in others, and I ask you, the convention, generally, in civil cases, does not apply until a matter normally has reached the trial stage. So I just wanted you to be aware of that, Mr. Speaker.