ARCHIVED - RPP 2006-2007
Courts Administration Service

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SECTION II - Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

Analysis by Program Activity
Strategic Outcome

The Service is committed to realizing the following strategic outcome:

The public has effective, timely and fair access, in either official language, to the litigation processes of the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada and the Tax Court of Canada.

The key initiatives identified hereafter which support our strategic outcome and organizational priorities are intended to ensure broader public access to the Courts, more efficient processing of cases and more effective support to the Courts we serve, while ensuring transparency and full accountability for the use of public funds.

As the Service is continuing the integration and transformation phases of the consolidation of the former registries of the Federal Court of Canada and the Tax Court of Canada, its major priority for the next three years is to continue to provide high levels of service to the public with due diligence pertaining to the use of public funds. We have undertaken the development of performance measures for each Program Activity and sub-activities. The challenges and pressures that accompany a major organizational merger have made this exercise more complex than anticipated. Senior Management is highly committed to this Treasury Board (TB) initiative and special attention will be given throughout the year to document the results of these key initiatives which will assist us in developing cost effective performance measures.

As well, the assessment of the Management Accountability Framework (MAF) will assist the Service in defining areas for improvements thereby strengthening our management practices.

Description of Program Activities

The Service has one business line, known as courts administration service.  Its objective is to provide Canadians with the services needed to ensure accountability for the use of public money in support of the administration of the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada and the Tax Court of Canada while facilitating the public’s access to the Courts and safeguarding the principle of judicial independence.  This business line is divided into three interrelated program activities:  Registry Services, Judicial Services and Corporate Services.

• Registry Services provide the Courts with litigation support processes.  These include processing documents filed by or issued to litigants, attending at court sittings, recording proceedings, providing information to litigants, maintaining custody of the records and information base required by the Courts and issuing legal instruments to enforce the Courts’ decisions;

• Judicial Services provide judicial support to the Justices and prothonotaries, including but not limited to executive officers, judicial assistants, library employees, revisors/jurilinguists, law clerks and other staff who provide direct support to the judiciary in fulfilling their responsibilities; and
• Corporate Services provide services such as finance, human resources, informatics, information management, telecommunications, facilities, translation, strategic planning, communications, internal audit, general administration and security to the Courts and to the Service itself.  (Additional information on Corporate Services can be found in section IV – Other Items of Interest.)

Program Activity Name: Registry services

Financial Resources:

2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
$40.1 million	$36.8 million	$36.6 million

Human Resources:

2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
427 FTE	427 FTE	427 FTE

Program Activity Name: Judicial Services

Financial Resources:

2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
$22.1 million	$20.5 million	$20.4 million

Human Resources:

2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
228 FTE	228 FTE	228 FTE

Program Activity Name: Corporate Services
The financial and human resources information of this program activity are incorporated with the data of the other two program activities.

Detailed Analysis of Program Activities

Priority #1 Implementing a comprehensive, dynamic and fully integrated people management strategy which will support all employees in the efforts of the Service consolidation.

A. Program Activity - Registry Services

Key Initiatives

Relocation of staff from Lorne Building
Presently, about 20% of the Service’s employees (120 employees) are located in the Lorne Building in Ottawa and provide registries services for the Federal Court of Appeal and for the Federal Court.  For several years, numerous health and safety issues relating to this building have been raised.  In order to provide an adequate and suitable work environment, relocation of these employees is necessary.

With the assistance of Public Works and Government Service Canada (PWGSC), the Service will define the optimal location for accommodating the employees.  Based on the current proposed options, the Registry could move as early as Fall 2006.

Harmonization of Registries
Co-location of the registry in Toronto will be completed in 2006.  Cross-training of registry staff across Canada will continue in 2006-2007.  As a result, all registry officers will be in a position to better serve clients with respect to all four courts.  These measures will enhance the use of our resources and provide a common access point for the public.

Implementation of Outreach Activities
The Service will strive to ensure that the information it makes available to the public about the Courts it serves, whether via the Courts' Web sites or other communications tools, including the publication of judgments, is coordinated effectively.  In addition, the Service, in conjunction with the Courts, will continue to use outreach activities, such as open houses, mock trials, symposium and Law Day to heighten public awareness of judicial independence.

B.  Program Activity - Judicial Services
Key Initiatives
Review of Judicial Services
As part of the integration process of the Service, studies will continue in 2006-2007 to develop an understanding of the various forms of judicial services which existed in the former registries of the Federal Court of Canada and the Tax Court of Canada.  Services provided to judges, supernumerary judges, deputy judges, prothonotaries, umpires, and assessors continue to be examined and defined. The roles of judicial administrators, judicial assistants and the law clerks are also being studied in order to develop a greater understanding of the correlation of duties between these positions and the registry officers.

We will continue reviewing all services, such as library services, court usher services and chauffeur services provided to the judges and judicial officers of the Courts to determine how to consolidate them more effectively.  This will ensure that judicial services are structured in such a way that appropriate resources are allocated according to requirements, while enhancing fiscal accountability and service delivery.  This analysis is important, for without the proper type and level of timely support, judges and other judicial officers may find themselves performing some tasks that could be better delegated to qualified support staff.

Priority #2 Sustaining innovation and pursuing modernization of business processes and practices.

A. Program Activity - Registry Services

Key Initiatives

Modernization of practices and procedures
In consultation with the Chief Justices, the Best Practices and Modernization Branch was created to review and modernize work processes and recommend changes to the rules of procedure to make the delivery of our services to citizens more effective.

The business process transformation is expected to take two to three years to complete but operational improvements will be implemented as identified and approved.  The first phase of the project will include a review of business processes including the practices and procedures of all the courts with a view to modernize the tools and approaches utilised in the delivery of our services.

The integration of the current case management systems, the introduction of additional technology in courtrooms, the modification of some rules of procedures and the provision of timely operational training to registry staff are examples of initiatives included within the scope of this project.

Electronic Filing
Based on the successful implementation of the electronic filing pilot project for intellectual property cases, the functionality will be expanded to include other types of cases. A committee has been established to assess the optimal implementation plan to ensure our current registry operations can accommodate further e-filing instances. A cooperative agreement between the Service and LexisNexis Canada (service provider) is currently in place to formalize this working relationship with respect to e-filing.

Digital Recording
Digital recording equipment has been set up in some of our courtrooms.  The initial results of the pilot project are positive.  As more and more courtrooms are equipped with the new systems, the benefits will continue to accrue.  The Service is developing a strategy for full deployment of this equipment in its courtrooms.  With the support of the Chief Justices, we should be in a position to complete a feasibility study, purchase the hardware and software and implement the system in the courtrooms.

Electronic Courtrooms
Following the positive experience with the implementation of electronic courtrooms in Edmonton and Calgary and in keeping with its commitment to improve service delivery and accessibility to court proceedings, the Service completed its planning of electronic courtrooms in Toronto.  Digital recording software and electronic courtroom display hardware and software will be made available in selected courtrooms.  The judges, prothonotaries, counsel and all court staff will be able to access the information via their own computers.

New Case Management System
The integration of the current case management systems will continue to be a priority in 2006-2007. The functionalities of the new case management system have been identified through focus groups.  Their work will serve as the foundation of the functional and system designs of the new system.  A funding strategy will also be developed to ensure additional technical expertise will be available at the development stage.  A new case management system will provide the registries with the tools required to better serve the public as well as harmonizing internal processes.

B.  Program Activity - Judicial Services
Key Initiatives
Construction of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Judicial Building (PETJB)
The Courts and the employees of the Service are currently located in seven buildings in the National Capital Region.  Such distribution is inefficient and does not meet the long-term accommodation requirements of the Courts.  The consolidation of the existing Ottawa operations will reduce operating costs, improve visibility and simplify security requirements.  The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Judicial Building (PETJB) is a proposed new single-purpose courthouse facility that will house the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada, the Tax Court of Canada and the Service.

Toronto Federal Judicial Centre Project (FJC).
Another facilities-related project in which the Service is participating involves the Federal Judicial Centre (FJC) in Toronto.  The FJC will be leased to the federal government on a long-term basis to house the regional operations of the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada, the Tax Court of Canada and the Service.  Approval to proceed was obtained on January 30, 2003 and occupancy is scheduled for summer 2006.  Efficiencies will be realized from this project due to the fact that staff and courtrooms will be in a single location.  Moreover, the relocation of staff will provide a single access and information point for the public.

Vancouver Federal Judicial Centre Project (FJC)

PWGSC have advised the Service that the lease for the premises currently occupied in Vancouver will expire in December 2009.  A long-term lease replacement solution is needed to house the regional operations.  This will be an opportunity to enhance the security and well-being of judges and staff; and to optimize space to reduce real estate costs.

Accordingly, a new project is being put in place to:

1. identify and quantify the mid-term to long-term accommodation requirements in Vancouver;
2. prepare a Tenant Requirements Package (TRP) to provide details to PWGSC on the type of accommodation required, an approximate size of the individual spaces and the number of work units, members of the judiciary, staff and public to be accommodated within the planned premises;
3. address the various security issues which have been identified, complete a Threat and Risk Analysis (TRA) to ensure all possible scenarios have been explored and dealt with; and
4. maintain close communications with PWGSC staff in the Vancouver region and Ottawa headquarters to ensure that the project advances to a successful completion.

In 2006-2007, PWGSC will complete a market survey report to identify potential lease solutions for a tender call.  The report will provide the information required to complete the business case and seek authority to proceed with the project.  The service will finalize its TRP and conduct a TRA.  The accommodation will be planned and delivered in accordance with the new PSGSC Fit-up standards.

 

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