2019-20 Departmental Plan

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Planned Results: What We Want to Achieve This Year and Beyond

Core Responsibilities

Legal Services

Description

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada provides legal services to the federal government and its departments and agencies. The Minister is responsible for seeing that the administration of public affairs is in accordance with the law. The Minister is also responsible for examining all government bills and regulations for consistency with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Additionally, the Attorney General is responsible for advising the heads of federal government departments on all matters of law and for conducting all litigation for federal departments or agencies on subjects within the authority or jurisdiction of Canada.

Planning Highlights

Legal work is increasingly complex and crosscutting, and the practice of law is dynamic. Moreover, demands for legal services may evolve, depending on the specific priorities of client departments and the various risks they face with respect to implementing these priorities. Accordingly, the Department will continue to focus on collaboration and joint planning with client departments to ensure it delivers effective and fiscally sustainable legal services.

Through its legal services, the Department will continue to protect the rights of Canadians and ensure the Charter is respected. The guiding principles of Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) will continue to be applied in all areas of the Department’s work, within the organization, in the provision of legal services to other client departments, and in advice to Cabinet.

The Department will also continue to seek opportunities to improve delivery of legal services. This includes exploring the adoption of new and innovative technologies. For example, the Department will collaborate with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to develop artificial intelligence and machine-learning tools to assist in the area of immigration law. Such tools are expected to generate new insights into the delivery of legal services. The Department will also continue to pilot and adopt new electronic tools to support litigation and evidence management. Additionally, the Department will expand a pilot project to produce quantitative and qualitative feedback from clients upon closure of key files. This feedback will support continual improvement of legal services and strengthen partnerships with clients.

In 2019-20, the Department will provide high quality legal advisory, litigation, and legislative services to advance priorities related to economic, international, social, and governmental affairs, as well as the Government of Canada’s commitment to working towards reconciliation and renewal of the nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government relationship between Canada and Indigenous peoples.

The following identifies specific highlights regarding the Department’s provision of legal services.

Key result: High Quality Legal Services

Litigation Strategy and Government Affairs

The Department will provide integrated, high quality legal services to support the continued advancement of a Government of Canada litigation strategy with a focus on:

• respecting the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;
• recognizing the rights of Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis);
• making decisions consistent with the Government’s priorities and Canadian values;
• early resolution and settlement of litigation through government initiatives and programs or legislative and regulatory reforms;
• continued implementation of the conflict-resolution approach set out in the recently released The Attorney General of Canada’s Directive on Civil Litigation Involving Indigenous Peoples;
• a cross-government approach in litigation cases with potential to impact several departments, Indigenous groups, provinces, territories, industry and other stakeholders; and
• ensuring that litigation strategies are consistent with the “Principles Respecting the Government of Canada’s Relationship with Indigenous Peoples,” including:
  • updating the settlement process by co-chairing the Justice – Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada working groups on Indigenous litigation and
  • working closely with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and Indigenous Services Canada on the settlement of Indigenous childhood claims.

Also in the area of government affairs, the Department will provide integrated, high quality legal services to support:

• implementation of the new Intellectual Property Strategy and reform of the Copyright Board to improve Canada’s ability to commercialize and gain the full value of Canadian innovations;
• the federal public service on matters concerning harassment and related issues of violence in the workplace, respect, civility and mental health, including the provision of training; and
• the Strategy for an Accessible Government of Canada, by providing legal advice on:
  • recruitment strategies to support the Government’s commitment to hire at least 5,000 people with disabilities over the next five years and
  • the design and implementation of the federal internship program for persons with disabilities.

Advancing Reconciliation

To advance reconciliation through a renewed nation-to-nation, government-to-government, and Inuit-Crown relationship, the Department will provide integrated, high quality legal services to support:

• advancement of a recognition-of-rights approach based on the vision of section 35 of the Constitution Act 1982, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission;
• the continued application of the “Principles Respecting the Government of Canada’s Relationship with Indigenous Peoples”;
• the passage of An Act respecting Indigenous languages to support the preservation, promotion and revitalization of Indigenous languages;
• negotiation and conclusion of modern treaties and self-government agreements that reflect a recognition-of-rights approach;
• reform of the comprehensive claims policy, the inherent right policy, and the British Columbia Treaty Process, and a continued growing number of Recognition of Indigenous Rights and Self-Determination Tables;
• the passage of legislation in relation to First Nations, Inuit and Metis Nation child and family services and support to related initiatives in this area;
• the enhanced role of Indigenous peoples in the new approach to the government’s environmental assessment and regimes;
• the re-initiated Phase III consultation and accommodations process for the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project following the guidance provided by the Federal Court of Appeal’s Tsleil-Waututh Nation decision;
• development of a reconciliation-based approach to resolving Specific Claims; and
• initiatives to promote economic development opportunities for Indigenous peoples, including the:
• harmonization of the Addition to Reserve (ATR) policy with the new ATR legislation concerning the addition of lands to existing reserve lands of First Nations and the creation of new reserves for First Nations;
• development of new frameworks in support of infrastructure, housing and water in Indigenous communities; and
• development of a new approach to the fiscal relationship between Canada and First Nations.

Social Affairs

In the area of social affairs, the Department will provide integrated, high quality legal services to support:

• Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada and related agencies upon the passage of Bill C-59, An Act respecting national security matters, which proposes measures to enhance Canada’s national security framework with a view to keeping Canadians safe and respecting Charter-protected rights and freedoms and the values of our free and democratic society;
• Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Correctional Services Canada in the implementation of Bill C-83, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and another Act, which, if passed, will introduce a new correctional interventions model to eliminate segregation, strengthen health care governance, better support victims in the criminal justice system, and consider the specific needs of Indigenous offenders;
• Environment and Climate Change Canada in the development and implementation of a pan-Canadian framework on clean growth and climate change as Canada works towards putting a price on carbon and reducing carbon pollution;
• Health Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the implementation of the food safety regime under the Safe Food for Canadians Act and regulations;
• Transport Canada in strengthening the safety and security of transportation, including the transportation of dangerous goods by rail;
• implementation of the Cannabis Act, including finalizing regulations regarding products containing cannabis intended for consumption; and
• the development of a response to the Report of the House of Common Standing Committee on the Third Parliamentary Review of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act as well as further policy development in the Government’s review of the law.  

Economic Affairs

In the area of economic affairs, the Department will provide integrated, high quality legal services to support:

• the development and implementation of the Federal Budget;
• the Canadian Revenue Agency in its commitment to crack down on tax evasion and combat tax avoidance to ensure the fairness and integrity of the tax system;
• the Government’s commitment to attract global investment in Canada through the implementation of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement;
• regulatory modernization, including regulatory reviews of the agri-food and aquaculture, health and bio-sciences, and transportation and infrastructure sectors;
• Public Services and Procurement Canada in modernizing their procurement practices, and in their activities to procure goods and services required by the Minister of National Defence, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, as outlined in the Government’s new defence policy: Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada’s Defence Policy; and
• Infrastructure Canada in implementing the Investing in Canada Plan on such matters as the Smart Cities Challenge, a pan-Canadian competition open to communities that encourages adopting a smart city approach to improve lives of their residents.

International Affairs

In the area of international affairs, the Department will provide integrated, high quality legal services to support:

• implementation of the International Financial Assistance Act, which provides new ways to deliver international aid and assistance through innovative financial authorities;
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency in relation to the In-Canada Asylum Program; and
• the federal process to consider whether Canada should become a party to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OP-CAT), a binding international treaty that requires state parties to ensure regular inspections of all places of detention.

Planned Results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2015–16 Actual results	2016–17 Actual results	2017–18 Actual results
Departments and agencies receive high quality legal services.	Client satisfaction mean rating of 8.0 (or greater) on a 10-point scale on the overall quality of legal services.	8 or greater	March 2020	Advisory: 8.4Table note i Litigation: 8.3Table note i Legislative: 8.5Table note i Regulatory: 8.5Table note i	Advisory: 8.5Table note i Litigation: 8.3Table note i Legislative: n/aTable note ii Regulatory: n/aTable note ii	Advisory: 8.8Table note iii Litigation: 8.5Table note iii Legislative: 8.6Table note iii Regulatory: 7.9Table note iii
	Client satisfaction mean rating of 8.0 (or greater) on a 10-point scale on the performance of legal services against the Service Standards for the provision of Legal Services in Government.	8 or greater	March 2020	Responsiveness/ Accessibility: 8.9 Usefulness: 8.6 Timeliness: 8.5	Responsiveness/ Accessibility: 8.7Table note i Usefulness: 8.4Table note i Timeliness: 8.2Table note i	Responsiveness/ Accessibility: 8.9Table note iii Usefulness: 8.6Table note iii Timeliness: 8.5Table note iii
	Percentage of litigation files resolved in a fiscal year that have a successful outcome (settled or adjudicated) from the Crown’s perspective.	70% or greater	March 2020	81	80	79

Table note i

The results presented reflect interim feedback collected during Cycle III of the Legal Services Client Feedback Survey (2016-2017). The Departmental Survey report will be completed in 2020. As the Survey only resumed in 2016-17, results for Cycle II (2009-2012) are reflected for 2015-16.

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Table note ii

There was an insufficient number of respondents to report results for this service.

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Table note iii

The results presented reflect interim feedback collected during Cycle III of the Legal Services Client Feedback Survey (2016-2017 and 2017-2018). The Departmental Survey report will be completed in 2020.

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Budgetary Financial Resources (Dollars)

2019–20 Main Estimates	2019–20 Planned spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2021–22 Planned spending
194,853,652	194,853,652	194,920,797	194,920,797

N.B.: Financial Resources for Planned Spending are based on Main Estimates and are net of respendable revenues. In addition, planned spending for 2019-20 and beyond excludes all Treasury Board central votes funding (such as severance pay expenditures, parental benefit expenditures, vacation credits payable upon termination of employment, and the Operating Budget Carry Forward).

Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalents)

2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents	2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents
3,130	3,130	3,130

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of Justice’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Justice System Support

Description

The Department plays an essential role in ensuring a fair, relevant and accessible justice system. This responsibility is shared among a broad range of players, including Parliament; the judiciary; federal departments and agencies; partners in provincial, territorial and municipal governments; a broad range of non-governmental organizations and stakeholders; and, ultimately, all Canadians.

Planning Highlights

The Department develops and coordinates all federal justice legislative reforms, policy options, and initiatives and it tests innovative approaches to strengthening the legal framework within various domains: criminal justice (including sentencing, criminal procedure, youth criminal justice and justice for victims of crime); family and children’s law (including marriage and divorce); access to justice; bijuralism; human rights; privacy; access to information; official languages; and Indigenous justice.

The Department provides justice system support to realize three key results for Canadians:

• that laws and policies abide by the rule of law and promote respect for rights and a fair, accessible and relevant legal framework in Canada;
• that the criminal justice system supports alternative ways of responding to the causes and consequences of offending; and
• that Canadians in contact with the justice system have access to appropriate services so the system is able to be fair, timely and accessible.

As the Department works to achieve these results, it must remain ready to respond to the accelerated pace at which new policy issues emerge or unfold. Adding to this complexity, the broad scope of justice issues and the multi-tiered nature of Canada’s justice system require the involvement and collaboration of many partners and stakeholders.

To ensure success in 2019-20, the Department will continue to monitor emerging trends to inform its forward planning and maintain policy and program responsiveness. Moreover, the Department remains committed to engaging with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous organizations, other countries, and domestic and international organizations, as well as increasingly diverse stakeholders. These efforts will focus on the identification of emerging issues, the development of various options (including policy, legislative and operational responses), and the implementation of reforms to improve criminal, family and youth justice systems and promote public confidence.

Achieving expected results for Canadians will be fostered through Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+), an analytical approach that proactively assesses how diverse groups of men, women and gender-diverse people may experience policies, programs and initiatives differently. To integrate these diversity considerations into decision making, GBA+ is included in the Department’s Memoranda to Cabinet process and the Department’s internal checklist for policy development. Moving forward, the Department will continue to collect and develop more comprehensive information pertinent to diverse populations to better understand possible gaps in fairness and access with respect to the justice system.

Working towards the Government of Canada’s goal of eliminating gender-based violence and harassment, Budget 2018 proposed to invest $50 million over five years to address sexual harassment in the workplace. As a result, the Department will contribute funding, through the Legal Aid Program, for legal advice for those who have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. As well, it will provide funding through the Justice Partnership and Innovation Program for a pan-Canadian outreach program to inform workers about their rights and how they can get help if they have been sexually harassed in the workplace.

The Department will continue to innovate in policy development and program delivery. This includes continued modernization of the Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings operations and strengthening of the family justice system by leveraging new technologies to improve service delivery and to streamline processes. In addition, recognizing that problems facing the criminal justice system require a whole-of-society approach with partnerships between social systems and the private sector, the Department will explore options for social financing, including establishing a feasibility study. Social financing is a tool that seeks to mobilize private capital for the public good.

More broadly, in 2019-20, the Department’s justice system support will focus on strategic directions related to:

• 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 following provides specific highlights for each key result for the Justice System Support core responsibility.

Key Result: Justice Canada Laws and Policies Abide by the Rule of Law and Promote Respect for Rights and a Fair, Accessible and Relevant Legal Framework in Canada

The Department will work to foster safety and security, while transforming the criminal justice system. Specifically, the Department will continue its work to support improvement to the criminal justice system to ensure Canadians are kept safe, while also addressing the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples and vulnerable groups in the system, including those suffering from a mental health illness. The Department will also 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 aims to reduce court delays and improve efficiencies in the criminal justice system in six areas:

• modernizing and streamlining the bail regime;
• enhancing the approach to administration of justice offences, including for youth;
• restricting the availability of preliminary inquiries to offences carrying life imprisonment;
• reclassifying some offences to provide greater flexibility and court efficiencies;
• improving the jury composition and selection process; and
• strengthening case-management measures and processes for making rules of court.

A number of these reforms will respond to the views and perspectives expressed by Canadians during the consultations and engagements on the criminal justice system review. In particular, these changes will address the needs of victims and vulnerable populations. For instance, reforms will provide better protection for victims of intimate-partner violence; prevent victims from having to testify twice; and provide that circumstances of the accused, in particular, Indigenous accused and accused persons from vulnerable populations, are considered at bail and in determining how to address a breach of condition.

In addition, the Department will continue to support 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.

The Department will also 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.

Moreover, the Department will continue to support implementation of the whole-of-government approach to addressing Canada’s opioid crisis.

To advance reconciliation, the Department will continue policy work aimed at developing alternative responses to the causes and consequences of offending, with a focus on reducing the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in the justice system as accused, offenders, victims and survivors; promoting the use of restorative justice processes; and addressing gaps in services to Indigenous peoples and those with mental illness throughout the Canadian justice system. This work is undertaken collaboratively and is informed by a range of federal-provincial-territorial working groups, Indigenous peoples organizations and other partners.

Moving forward, the Department will provide advisory and policy support to develop reforms to federal laws, policies and operational practices that help ensure the Crown meets its constitutional obligations with respect to Aboriginal and treaty rights, adhering to international human rights standards, and to support the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, specifically those related to the Department’s mandate. Additionally, the  Deputy Minister of Justice will continue to serve as co-chair of the Deputy Ministers’ Task Force on Reconciliation, promoting a whole-of-government approach to this work.

The Department will continue efforts to strengthen human rights, governance and the rule of law. In December 2018, Bill C-51, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Department of Justice Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act, received Royal Assent. This bill creates a new statutory duty for the Minister of Justice to table Charter Statements in Parliament for all government bills. This duty will come into force in December 2019. Charter Statements are intended to inform the public and Parliament about the potential effects of government legislation on the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Charter. They are intended to demonstrate the Government of Canada’s commitment to the Charter and its values, increase Canadians’ understanding of the Charter, and improve openness and transparency by sharing the Minister of Justice’s view of how proposed legislation engages rights and freedoms. As part of a pilot project leading up to the coming into force of the new legal duty, a number of Charter Statements have been tabled.

The Department will also support the Government’s commitment to openness and transparency by providing support to the passage of Bill C-58, An Act to amend Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts. This bill seeks to enhance the accountability and transparency of federal institutions by making extensive changes to the Access to Information Act and other Acts. The proposed amendments include a proactive publication regime applicable to the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada, the Courts Administration Service, and the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs. These amendments strike an appropriate balance between enhancing transparency and the need to protect the integrity of our judicial system by including measures to protect judicial independence and other important interests.

In the field of family law, the Department will continue to provide support to the passage of Bill C-78, An Act to amend the Divorce Act, the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act and the Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act, which was introduced in Parliament on May 22, 2018, to make federal family laws more responsive to Canadian families’ needs. This bill focuses on four key goals: promoting the best interests of the child, addressing family violence, reducing child poverty, and making Canada’s family justice system more accessible and efficient. Recognizing that family violence can have serious and long-lasting consequences for children, Bill C-78 requires courts, in determining parenting arrangements for a child, to consider the impact of family violence on the best interests of the child and to give primary consideration to a child’s physical, emotional and psychological safety, security and well-being. As part of the bill’s focus on access to family justice, it introduces new language rights by explicitly recognizing the right to use either official language at courts of first instance in proceedings under the Divorce Act.

The Department will also continue to work with participating provinces to develop Memoranda of Agreement for signature in 2019 to implement the Government’s commitment in Budget 2018 to establish 39 new Unified Family Court positions.

Key Result: The Criminal Justice System Supports Alternative Ways of Responding to the Causes and Consequences of Offending

Under the strategic direction of fostering safety and security while transforming the criminal justice system, the Department will continue to administer the Drug Treatment Court Funding Program. This program aims to reduce crime committed because of drug dependency through court-monitored treatment and community service support for non-violent offenders with drug addictions. One of the objectives of the program is to promote and strengthen the use of alternatives to incarceration, with a particular focus on Indigenous men and women and on street prostitutes.

The Department will continue to provide funding to the provinces and territories through the Youth Justice Services Funding Program for the delivery of youth justice services and programs that directly support the policy directions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Additionally, funding will be provided to the provinces and territories through the Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision Program to assist with specialized assessments and treatment services for youth with mental health needs who have been convicted of certain offences. Finally, funding will also be made available to community-based organizations and other types of recipients through the Youth Justice Fund to respond to emerging youth justice issues and to enable greater citizen and community participation in the youth justice system.

To advance reconciliation, the Department’s programming, along with its continued policy work, will support alternatives for responding to the causes and consequences of offending, with a focus on reducing the overrepresentation of Indigenous Canadians in the criminal justice system, promoting the use of restorative justice processes, and addressing gaps in services to Indigenous peoples and those with mental illness throughout the criminal justice system.

Through the Indigenous Justice Program, the Department will provide funding to support Indigenous community-based justice programs that offer alternatives to mainstream justice processes in appropriate circumstances. These programs are community-led and designed to reflect the cultures, values and specific justice needs of the communities in which they are situated.

Key Result: Canadians in Contact with the Justice System Have Access to Appropriate Services, Enabling a Fair, Timely and Accessible Justice System

The Department will continue to support the rights of victims of crime at the federal level. Under the Federal Victims Strategy, the Department will provide enhanced and ongoing funding to address the specific needs of vulnerable victims, including victims of human trafficking, victims of sexual offences, and child victims. This funding will address gaps in services for vulnerable groups to support the Strategy’s goal of giving victims a more effective voice in the criminal justice and federal corrections systems. The Department will also continue to support victims of crime through the implementation of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights.

Through the Family Violence Initiative, the Department will continue to address elder abuse, including financial abuse, by providing information and resources for professionals and the public.

In addition, the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, which operates at arm’s length from the federal government, will provide direct information, referrals and complaint-review services to its primary clients: victims, victims’ family members or representatives, victim-serving agencies, and other stakeholders.

To advance reconciliation, the Department will continue in 2019-20 to support the Government of Canada’s efforts with regard to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, including the response to the final report due April 30, 2019. Moreover, to ensure that families of missing and murdered women and girls have access to all available information about their missing or murdered loved ones, as well as access to culturally grounded and trauma-informed support and assistance, the Department will continue to provide grants and contributions funding through the Family Information Liaison Units and community-based organizations across Canada.

The Department will also continue to provide funding to the Indigenous Courtwork Program to ensure Indigenous people involved in the criminal justice system obtain fair and culturally relevant treatment. Through Access to Justice Service Agreements, the Department will provide  funding to support the delivery of criminal and civil legal aid, Indigenous courtwork services, and public legal education and information in northern communities.

Under the strategic direction of strengthening human rights, governance and the rule of law, the Department’s Legal Aid Program will continue funding provincial governments to provide legal aid services to economically disadvantaged persons. The Department will also continue efforts to ensure access to appropriate services by funding provincial and territorial governments through the Canadian Family Justice Fund to support families experiencing separation and divorce.

The Department will also continue initiatives relating to access to justice in both official languages. As part of the Government of Canada’s Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-2023: Investing in Our Future, the Department’s Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund is investing approximately $54 million over five years to support projects and activities that foster the recognition and use of both English and French in the Canadian justice system. This fund also contributes to the vitality of official languages in minority communities.

Finally, the Department will continue to provide funding through the Contraventions Act Fund. The Contraventions Act Fund is a transfer payment program designed to provide provinces, territories and municipalities with funding to undertake measures on Canada’s behalf that ensure language rights are respected in relation to issuing and processing of contravention tickets.

Planned Results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2015–16 Actual results	2016–17 Actual results	2017–18 Actual results
Justice Canada laws and policies abide by the rule of law and promote respect for rights and a fair, accessible and relevant legal framework in Canada.	Canada’s international ranking with respect to the rule of law.	Top 10%	March 2020	13.7%Table note iv (14/102)	10.6%Table note v (12/113)	8%Table note vi (9/113)
	Percentage of Canadians who think that the criminal justice system is: a) fair, and b) accessible.	TBDTable note vii	TBD	N.A. New Indicator	N.A. New Indicator	N.A. New Indicator
	Number of constitutional challenges in the provincial and territorial courts of appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada.	TBDTable note vii	TBD	N.A. New Indicator	N.A. New Indicator	N.A. New Indicator
The criminal justice system supports alternative ways of responding to the causes and consequences of offending.	Number and type of restorative justice programs/processes available.	TBDTable note viii	TBD	N.A. New Indicator	N.A. New Indicator	N.A. New Indicator
	Number of people who have used the available restorative programs/processes.	TBDTable note viii	TBD	N.A. New Indicator	N.A. New Indicator	N.A. New Indicator
	Number/ percentage of court-imposed community-based sentences as compared to number /percentage of incarceration sentences.	35% custody sentences	March 2025	N.A. New Indicator	N.A. New Indicator	N.A. New Indicator
	Percentage of individuals who were referred to an Indigenous justice program and participated in the program.	90% or greater	March 2022	N.A. New Indicator	N.A. New Indicator	N.A. New Indicator
	Percentage of youth court cases receiving a non-custodial (community-based) sentence as compared to previous reported years.	85% or greater	March 2020	84%	NoteTable note ix	NoteTable note x
	Percentage of identified, eligible intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision cases receiving specialized treatment.	100%	March 2020	100%	100%	100%
Canadians in contact with the justice system have access to appropriate services enabling a fair, timely and  accessible justice system.	Percentage of federal funds accessed by provinces, territories, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders to deliver targeted services consistent with federal priorities.	100%	March 2020	98%	98%	98%
	Percentage of Indigenous Courtwork Program clients indicating a level of satisfaction of “satisfied” or “very satisfied’ with the usefulness of the information provided.	80% or greater	March 2023	N/A	N/A	95%
	Number of times duty counsel provide assistance in criminal matters.	1,000,000 or greater	March 2020	N/A	913,666	N/ATable note xi
	Number of full service criminal legal aid applications approved.	270,000 or greater	March 2020	261,207	274,265	N/ATable note xi
	Percentage of Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime (OFOVC) client inquiries or complaints that are assessed and acted upon.	100%	March 2020	N.A. New Indicator	N.A. New Indicator	N.A. New Indicator

Table note iv

World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2015

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Table note v

World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2016

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Table note vi

World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2017-2018

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Table note vii

Baseline year data from 2018-19 not yet available at time of publication. Target will be included in DP 2020-21.

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Table note viii

New indicator – Target and date to achieve target will be set once the baseline data is available.

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Table note ix

Data is published by Statistics Canada two years after a given fiscal year. Final data will be available in Departmental Results Report 2019-20.

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Table note x

Data is published by Statistics Canada two years after a given fiscal year. Final data will be available in Departmental Results Report 2020-21.

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Table note xi

Once available, the result will be published in Legal Aid in Canada 2017-18 (forthcoming).

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Budgetary Financial Resources (Dollars)

2019–20 Main Estimates	2019–20 Planned spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2021–22 Planned spending
444,923,893	444,923,893	445,030,079	443,030,079

N.B.: Financial Resources for Planned Spending are based on Main Estimates. In addition, planned spending for 2019-20 and beyond excludes all Treasury Board central votes funding (such as severance pay expenditures, parental benefit expenditures, vacation credits payable upon termination of employment, and the Operating Budget Carry Forward).

Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalents)

2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents	2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents
296	296	296

Financial, human resources, and performance information for the Department of Justice’s Program Inventory is available in the GC Infobase.

Internal Services

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of Programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct services that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. These services are:

• Management and Oversight Services
• Communications Services
• Legal Services
• Human Resources Management Services
• Financial Management Services
• Information Management Services
• Information Technology Services
• Real Property Management Services
• Materiel Management Services
• Acquisition Management Services

Planning Highlights

Initiatives under the Internal Services program will enable business and legal excellence with a focus on the Department’s work force, innovation, and collaboration, as well as open, transparent and accountable operations.

Supporting Employees 

In 2019-20, minimizing the impact of the Pay Transformation implementation on employees remains a priority. The Department will continue to dedicate additional resources to improving internal processes, enhancing analytical capacity, and developing tools and communication strategies to help support employees. Additionally, the Department will continue to support the professional success of its employees through a variety of knowledge-management and career-development initiatives. These include further engaging the Department’s legal community on the importance of legal ethical issues in the practice of law and ensuring that Justice’s internal learning curriculum is focused on building capacity in new and emerging areas of law.

In support of the Federal Public Service Workplace Mental Health Strategy, the Department will further advance the implementation of its Mental Health Strategy, which fosters a healthy and safe work environment that meets employees’ physical and psychological needs. Finally, the Department will also undertake recruitment and outreach strategies to meet work force demands, support renewal, and ensure a workforce that is representative of the Canadian population.

Promoting Innovation and Collaboration

Moving forward, Justice will further promote digital information sharing and the leveraging of technology to improve collaboration within the Department, across government, and with external partners. The Department will continue to ensure timely, accessible and effective communications that are responsive to the evolving needs of Canadians on matters relating to the administration of justice. It will continue to strengthen communications through the use of digital platforms and will engage and collaborate with stakeholders and Canadians on key justice priorities.

In support of the Government of Canada’s efforts to use data as a strategic asset, the Department will develop a Departmental Data Strategy that will focus on achieving stronger governance, improving data literacy and skills, enabling infrastructure and legislation, and using data as a valuable asset. The Department will continue to use business analytics to track performance and trends to inform better decision making.

The Department will further enhance the delivery of legal services by increasing the use of paralegals, using virtual teams, investing in new processes and technology, and continuing to assess the benefits of artificial intelligence and cloud computing in delivering legal services. The new Legal Case Management solution (LEX) will provide a modern and agile system that will support core legal services delivery, while aligning with Government of Canada direction relating to information technology modernization.

In support of the 2016-19 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy and the 2017-2020 Justice Sustainable Development Strategy, the Department will encourage new innovative standards and practices that incorporate the shift to low-carbon government. Through this work, the Department will continue to develop a strong sustainable development culture.

Open, Transparent and Accountable Operations

In support of Open Government, the Department of Justice will continue to promote openness and accountability through awareness-raising activities and providing employees with tools and guidance to maximize the release of data and information to the public. It will also adjust its processes to meet the new disclosure requirements stemming from Bill C-58, An Act to amend the Access to Information and the Privacy Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.

Budgetary Financial Resources (Dollars)

2019–20 Main Estimates	2019–20 Planned spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2021–22 Planned spending
78,105,514	78,105,514	77,676,082	77,676,082

N.B.: Financial Resources for Planned Spending are based on Main Estimates and are net of respendable revenues. In addition, planned spending for 2019-20 and beyond excludes all Treasury Board central votes funding (such as severance pay expenditures, parental benefit expenditures, vacation credits payable upon termination of employment, and the Operating Budget Carry Forward).

Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalents)

2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents	2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents
974	974	974

Financial, human resources, and performance information for the Department of Justice’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

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