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ARCHIVED - RPP 2006-2007
Courts Administration Service


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SECTION III - Supplementary Information

Organizational Information

organizational information

Power of the Chief Administrator

Subsections 7(1), (2), (3) and (4) of the Courts Administration Service Act set out the powers, duties and functions of the Chief Administrator as follows:

(1) The Chief Administrator is the chief executive officer of the Service and has supervision over and direction of its work and staff.

(2) The Chief Administrator has all the powers necessary for the overall effective and efficient management and administration of all court services, including court facilities and libraries and corporate services and staffing.

(3) The Chief Administrator, in consultation with the Chief Justices of the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada and the Tax Court of Canada, shall establish and maintain the registry or registries for those courts in any organizational form or forms and prepare budgetary submissions for the requirements of those courts and for the related needs of the Service.

(4) The powers of the Chief Administrator do not extend to any matter assigned by law to the judiciary.

Subsection 9(1) adds the following:

A chief justice may issue binding directions in writing to the Chief Administrator with respect to any matter within the Chief Administrator’s authority.

Table 1: Departmental Planned Spending and Full Time Equivalents  

($ millions)

Forecast Spending
2005-2006 (1)

Planned Spending
2006-2007

Planned Spending
2007-2008

Planned Spending
2008-2009

  Provide Registry Services(2)

$34.4

$40.3

$37.3

$37.3

  Provide Judicial Services (2)

$19.1

$22.2

$20.6

$20.6

Total Main Estimates

$53.5

$62.5

$57.9

$57.8

Adjustments:

 

 

 

 

Governor General Warrants Process (3):

 

 

 

 

 + Operating budget carry forward (horizontal item)

$0.9

---

---

---

 + Public Security & Anti-terrorism

$0.8

---

---

---

 + Program Integrity Funding  (4)

$2.8

---

---

---

 + Funding from Citizenship and Immigration (5)

$0.2

---

---

---

 + Toronto Federal Judicial Centre Building (6)

Budget Announcement:
Procurement savings (7)

$0.3

---

---

---

  1. Provide Registry Services

---

($0.2)

($0.4)

($0.5)

  1. Provide Judicial Services

 

---

($0.1)

($0.2)

($0.3)

Other (8)  :

 

 

 

 

 + Collective bargaining agreements TB Vote 15

$2.3

---

---

---

 + Paylist Shortfalls TB Vote 5

$1.4

---

---

---

Total Adjustments

$8.7

($0.3)

($0.6)

($0.8)

Total Planned Spending

$62.2

$62.2

$57.3

$57.0

 

 

 

 

 

Total Planned Spending

$62.2

$62.2

$57.3

$57.0

Less: Non-Respendable revenue

($5.1)

($6.9)

($6.9)

($6.9)

Plus: Cost of services received without charge

$19.5

$19.9

$20.5

$20.9

Net cost of Program

$76.6

$75.2

$70.9

$71.0

 

Full Time Equivalents (9)

580

655

655

655

(1) Reflects the best forecast of total net planned spending to the end of the fiscal year, including employee benefits.

(2) The Corporate Services Program Activity has been re-allocated to the remaining program activities on a pro rata basis.

(3) Due to the recent election call, all items that would be usually funded through Supplementary Estimates process have been requested through Governor General Warrants Process.  Due to the fact that Governor General Warrant requirements stipulate only requesting funds for "urgent requirements" the Service has cash managed a portion of some items.

From the total adjustments amounts of $8.7 M (including employee benefit plan), $6.0 M has been requested in the first Governor General Warrant Process period that has been funded from the government contingencies vote.  The remaining amount of $2.7M has been requested in the second and third period of Governor General Warrants and is funded with Governor General Warrant.               

(4)  This funding is required for the additional fees for deputy judges, prothonotaries salaries and administrative support.  The Service plans to request funding through a Treasury Board Submission in 2006-2007

(5) This funding is to address short-term immigration pressures to reduce inventory of citizenship grant and proof applications as well as sponsored parents & grandparents applications.

(6) In January 2006, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) advised the Court Administration Service (Service) that a new project delivery schedule had been established.  The revised project delivery schedule was mainly a result of construction delays. PWGSC proposed that the Service begin client move-in on a phased basis starting in July 2006 and being completed at the end of August 2006.  Due to the recent election call and the fact that Governor General Warrant requirements stipulate only requesting funds for "urgent requirements", the Service delayed delivery and receipt of furniture and other equipment until next fiscal year.  Since there was $4M allocated to this project in 05/06, and a total of $3.7M has been approved to be re-profiled,  this leaves $0.3M that is required for expenditures in 2005-2006.

(7) This reflects the reductions to the department's planned spending as a result of the Expenditure Review Committee (ERC) procurement savings exercise.  In early December 2005, the Service has been informed that the amount of savings expected for 2006-2007 has been increased from $200,000 to $290,000.  No new information has been provided to the Service for year 2007-2008 and future.  The original estimate has been used to calculate 2007-2008 and future years planned spending.

(8) These items are usually funded by TB Vote 15 for compensation for collective bargaining agreements and by TB Vote 5 for the paylist shortfalls such as parental benefits, severance pay or vacation pay on departure.  These items were funded through the Governor General Warrant Process in 2005-2006.

(9) The Service continues to experience delays in staffing.  In addition, internal staffing is done before external staffing in order to reallocate personnel to match the requirement of the Service with personnel of both former organizations.  However, due to the merger of the former Registry of the Federal Court of Canada & the Tax Court of Canada, the Service has experienced a higher level of turnover than in the past.  The Service expects the retention level to stabilize through 2006-2007.

Table 2: Program by Activity

2006-2007         ($ millions)

Program Activity

Budgetary

Total Main Estimates

 

Adjustments (planned spending not in Main Estimates)

Total Planned Spending

Operating

Gross

Provide Registry Services

40.3

40.3

40.3

(0.2)

40.1

Provide Judicial Services

22.2

22.2

22.2

(0.1)

22.1

Total

62.5

62.5

62.5

(0.3)

62.2

Table 3: Voted and Statutory Items listed in Main Estimates

2006-2007         ($ millions)

Vote or Statutory Item



Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording


Current
Main Estimates


Previous
Main Estimates

30

Operating expenditures

55.9

47.2

(S)

Contributions to employee benefit plans

6.6

6.3

 

Total Department or Agency

62.5

53.5

Explanation of differences between 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 Main Estimates:

2005-2006 Compensation for Collective Agreements

2.8

Funding to address Short-Term Immigration Pressures to reduce inventory of citizenship grant and proof applications as well as sponsored parents & grandparents applications

0.3

Funding for fit-up requirements for the Toronto Federal Judicial Centre  (FJC) building

0.8

Funding for expenses related to the 2001 policy/administrative and legislative reforms to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act  (for partner departments)

0.5

Funding for support for two judges appointed under Public security & Anti-terrorism legislation

0.8

Adjustment to the contribution to employee benefit plans (EBP) to bring the amount to 19% of personnel costs (34,816 X 1%)

(0.3)

Termination of loan repayment from Y2K (Year 2000)

0.4

Toronto Federal Judicial Centre Building : Re-profile from year 2005-2006

3.7

TOTAL

9.0

Table 4: Net Cost of Department for the Estimates Year

2006-2007

 

 

($ millions)

Total

Total Planned Spending

$62.2

Plus: Services Received without Charge (1)

 

Accommodation provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC)

$17.2

Contributions covering employers' share of employees’ insurance premiums and expenditures paid by TBS (excluding revolving funds)

$2.6

 

$19.9

Less: Non-respendable Revenue

($6.9)

2005-2006 Net cost of Department

$75.2

(1) Amounts that are not material are not displayed as separate amount but are included in the total net cost of department.  Include:
   - Contributions covering employers’ share of employees’ insurance premiums and expenditures paid by TBS .
   - Salary and associated expenditures of legal services provided by Justice Canada.

Table 7: Sources of Respendable and Non-Respendable Revenue

 

Forecast Revenue

Planned Revenue

Planned Revenue

Planned Revenue

($ millions)

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

Provide Registry Services

Refund of previous years' expenditures

$0.1

$0.1

$0.1

$0.1

Services Fees

$1.7

$1.4

$1.4

$1.4

Court fines

$0.0

$2.4

$2.4

$2.4

Miscellaneous non-tax revenues

$3.3

$3.0

$3.0

$3.0

Total Non-Respendable Revenue

$5.1

$6.9

$6.9

$6.9

At the Court Administration Service (the Service), non-respendable revenues consist primarily of fees levied for filing documents within the registries, for sales of photocopies of judgments and for other revenues such as fines.  Fine revenues are impossible to forecast and vary significantly in amount from year to year.  The actual fine revenue collected this year is lower than the preceding few years.  As a result, a four-year average has been used to forecast future non-respendable revenues, though actual amounts collected from fines from year to year are expected to vary considerably from the average estimated. 

Miscellaneous non-tax revenues consist primarily of other revenues, but mainly come from the Employment Insurance (EI) Account of Canada.  At the end of each fiscal year, the Service determines the cost associated with the administration of Employment Insurance cases. The total cost allocated by the Service for handling EI cases are expended against Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), the department responsible for the EI account.

As such, HRSDC would show an EI expense and the Service would show an equivalent, non-respensable revenue item.  The purpose of this accounting exercise is to more accurately reflect the total cost of running the federal government's EI program and it is strictly internal to the government.

Table 9: Resource Requirement by Branch or Sector

($ millions)

Provide Registry Services

Provide Judicial Services

Total Planned Spending

Federal Court of Appeal and Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada Registry Operations

1.1

 

1.1

Federal Court Registry Operations

4.8

 

4.8

Tax Court of Canada Registry Operations

2.0

 

2.0

Quebec and Atlantic Region

4.9

 

4.9

Ontario Region

5.1

 

5.1

Western Region

4.4

 

4.4

Executive Offices (1)

 

3.7

3.7

Judicial Assistants

 

3.8

3.8

Law Clerk Program

 

3.0

3.0

Library

 

2.2

2.2

Office of the Chief Administrator (2)

1.5

0.8

2.3

Finance & Corporate Services, Chauffeurs & Court Attendants Services (3)

11.1

6.1

17.2

Human Resources

1.4

0.7

2.1

IM IT, Record Mgmt,  Best Practices & Modernization

3.6

2.0

5.6

Total

39.9

22.3

62.2

  1. Includes Judges’ Offices, Office of the Director General of Judicial Services, as well as Revisors.
  2. Includes Office of the Chief Administrator, Strategic Planning & Communications, and the Office of the Deputy Chief Administrator.
  3. Includes Office of the Director General of Finance & Corporate Services, Facilities Management, Telecommunications, Capital Projects, Security Services, Accounting Policy and Systems, Financial Planning, Budgeting and Analysis, Material Management and Contracting, Administration Services and Translation.

Table 12: Details on Project Spending

Over the next three years the following projects have or are expected to exceed their delegated project approval level:
2006-2007

  1. Merge case management system
  2. Digital Recording
  3. Courts Accommodation Amalgamation Project
  4. Courts Technology and Equipment Modernization Project
  5. Program Integrity for additional new judges, supernumerary judges, deputy judges and prothonotaries and aboriginal cases (on-going for future year)

2007-2008

  1. Merge case management system
  2. Courts Technology and Equipment Modernization Project

2007-2008

  1. Merge case management system
  2. Courts Technology and Equipment Modernization Project

For further information on the above-mentioned projects see http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/estime.asp

Table 19: Internal Audits and Evaluations

Internal Audits or Evaluations

  • The completion of the work initiated in the previous year; and
  • Conduct audits per risk based audit plan that is awaiting audit committee approval.