2019-20 Departmental Plan
Plans at a Glance and Operating Context
Established in 1868, the Department of Justice of Canada supports the dual roles of the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Canada with respect to his responsibility for 53 statutes and areas of federal law regarding the administration of justice, the development of justice policy, and the provision of legal services and advice to Cabinet. Through its core responsibilities of legal service delivery and justice system support, the Department supports a broad range of government initiatives.
The Department’s operating context is ever evolving. Demographically, Canada’s society is aging, living longer and becoming more diverse. Indigenous Canadians are younger than the overall Canadian population and, while growing as a segment of the national population, are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Family structures continue to evolve, creating increasingly complex family dynamics.
There are heightened expectations regarding public institutions and citizen engagement in Canadian society. Canadians expect an open and transparent government that swiftly and clearly responds to their needs. There are greater expectations for frequent communication and meaningful engagement with government. The growing use of social media tools by Canadians to access information and comment on a wide range of social, legal, and justice-related issues offers opportunities to engage Canadians and capture the views of community partners.
Ongoing technological advancements, especially in the sharing and management of information, make new ways of communicating and working possible. At the same time, these advances create additional demands and pressures. The latest forms of technologies are increasing the pace of change. Organizations must manage rapidly growing volumes and forms of electronic information. New legislative policy or program responses may be required to address these innovative technologies while respecting the privacy and security of Canadians.
In this context, the Department has developed a five-year strategic plan, which identifies its legal, policy and management directions from 2017 to 2022. Guided by this plan, in 2019-20, the Department will continue to focus on providing legal services and a litigation strategy that support Government of Canada commitments: fostering safety and security and transforming the criminal justice system; advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples; and strengthening human rights governance and the rule of law.
The Department will apply a range of critical considerations to ensure strong and evidence-based public policy and good governance. These include legal risk analysis; gender and diversity considerations, such as Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+); privacy considerations; and strategic environmental assessment.
The Department will also continue to innovate and test improvements in program design and delivery. This includes leveraging new technologies to improve service delivery and streamline processes in the family justice system. Additionally, the Department will explore opportunities to utilize emerging technologies in delivering legal services, such as the potential use of artificial intelligence and the updating of tools to manage documentary evidence.
The following provides an overview of the Department’s five areas of focus in 2019-20.
Legal Services and Litigation Strategy
The Department will support the implementation of many Government of Canada priorities through the delivery of high quality, integrated legal services – specifically, advisory, litigation and legislative services.
Key actions:
- Implement a Government of Canada litigation strategy that ensures consistency with the Government’s commitments, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Canadian values, including alignment with the principles guiding the Attorney General of Canada in Charter litigation and the Attorney General’s Directive on Civil Litigation Involving Indigenous Peoples.
- Continue to support implementation of the Cannabis Act, including the final drafting of regulations regarding products containing cannabis that are intended for consumption.
- Provide advice to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency in relation to the Canadian asylum system.
- Support Environment and Climate Change Canada in the development and implementation of a Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.
Fostering Safety and Security and Transforming the Criminal Justice System
The Department will work to ensure safety and security for Canadians while transforming the criminal justice system.
Key actions:
- Provide support to the passage of Bill C-75, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and other Acts and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, which seeks to reduce court delays and address many issues that have disproportionate impacts on overrepresented and vulnerable groups, while maintaining the safety of victims and the public.
- Continue to support implementation of former Bill C-46, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (offences relating to conveyances) and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, which seeks to keep Canadians safe on our roads and highways by reducing the deaths and injuries caused by impaired drivers.
- Provide support to the passage of Bill C-84, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (bestiality and animal fighting), aimed at strengthening legal protections for children, vulnerable individuals, and animals.
- Continue to support the implementation of the whole-of-government approach to addressing Canada’s opioid crisis.
Advancing Reconciliation
The Department will support the Government’s priority and commitment to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples through a renewed, nation-to-nation, government-to-government, and Inuit-Crown relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership as the foundation for transformative change.
Key actions:
- Support the Government in advancing its commitment to review and reform laws and policies to ensure that the Crown is fulfilling its constitutional and international human rights obligation in regard to Crown-Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) relations.
- Support the implementation of the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the development of a new framework for recognizing and implementing Indigenous rights, building on a purposive approach to section 35 of the Constitution Act 1982.
- Support the Government in its commitment to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, specifically those related to the mandate of the Department in the area of administration of justice.
Strengthening Human Rights, Governance and the Rule of Law
The Department will support the Government’s commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law and assist the Government in advancing related domestic and international legal and policy interests through the development of public law policy.
Key actions:
- Provide support to the passage of Bill C-78, An Act to amend the Divorce Act, the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcements Assistance Act and the Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act, intended to promote faster, more cost-effective and lasting solutions to family law disputes, reducing the burden on courts and leading to better outcomes for families.
- Continue to inform parliamentary and public debates on proposed bills by executing a new legal duty to table Charter Statements for all government legislation.
- Support the review of the Access to Information Act, including the commitment to apply that law appropriately to administrative bodies that support the courts.
Enabling Legal and Business Excellence
The Department will enable legal and business excellence with a strategic focus on the Department’s work force, innovation, collaboration, as well as open, transparent and accountable operations.
Key actions:
- Promote digital approaches and strategies for information sharing and collaboration, including communicating across multiple platforms to engage Canadians in conversations about key justice priorities.
- Minimize the impact of Pay Transformation implementation on Justice employees.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s plans, priorities and planned results, see the “Planned results” section of this report.
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