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A fair, relevant and accessible justice system that reflects Canadian values is a responsibility that does not lie with the Department of Justice alone, rather it involves a broad range of players, including all three branches of the federal government – Parliament, the judiciary, and federal departments and agencies; our partners in the provincial, territorial and municipal levels of government; a broad range of non-governmental organizations and stakeholders; and, ultimately, all Canadians.
The Department plays a major part in this by carrying out its fundamental role in establishing, maintaining and refining the national legal framework. It also exercises a leadership role in consulting and collaborating with our federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and non-governmental partners to identify and address issues affecting the fairness, accessibility and relevance of the Canadian justice system.
This Strategic Outcome is supported by two program activities: Justice policies, laws and programs and the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime.
Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending ($ millions) | |||||
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2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |||
FTEs | Planned Spending | FTEs | Planned Spending | FTEs | Planned Spending |
361 | 429.80 | 364 | 423.01 | 365 | 396.12 |
Program Activity Expected Results | Performance Indicators | Performance Measurement Strategy |
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Sustainable national justice system |
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Key Program Sub–Activity Expected Results |
Performance Indicators | Performance Measurement Strategy |
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Criminal law is reformed to respond to emerging issues |
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Canadians have a positive perception of the criminal justice system |
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Increased compliance by parents with the terms and conditions of family support, custody and access obligations |
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Equitable Access to the Justice System |
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Increased involvement of Aboriginal communities in the local administration of justice |
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* These are new performance indicators, which replace previous indicators identified in the Departmental Performance Measurement Framework.
Overview
Under Canada's federal system, the administration of justice is an area of shared jurisdiction between the federal government and the provinces. Through this program activity, the Department fulfills its constitutional responsibility to ensure a bilingual and bijural national legal framework for the administration of justice by developing policies, laws and programs to strengthen the national framework. The Department's focus is in five core domains which include: criminal justice, family justice, access to justice, Aboriginal justice, and private international and public law.i As well, in recognition of the federal government's shared interest in a sustainable justice system, the Department also provides significant ongoing funding to provinces and territories for the delivery of programs that directly support federal policy objectives, including legal aid, youth justice services, and Aboriginal justice services.
Benefits for Canadians
Canadians rely on the justice system to prescribe the balance between collective and individual rights and responsibilities that ensure a safe, secure and resilient society. The justice system affects almost every facet of Canadians' daily lives from guiding everyday activities that ensure our safety, to supporting social policies and social benefits, regulating our economy, and offering ways to resolve disputes peacefully where there are disagreements or conflicts between individuals, organizations or governments.
Planning Highlights for 2010-11
In support of the expected results, the following highlights of some of the key Justice policies, laws and programs' activities upon which the Department will be actively engaged during 2010-11.
Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending ($ millions)* | |||||
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2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |||
FTEs | Planned Spending | FTEs | Planned Spending | FTEs | Planned Spending |
9 | 1.31 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
*Note: The funding profile for the Office of the Federal Ombudsman reflects that the initiative is scheduled to sunset at the end of fiscal year 2010-11.
Overview
The Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime was established in 2007-08. The Ombudsman operates at arm's length from the federal departments responsible for victim issues, namely the Department of Justice and the Department of Public Safety. The Ombudsman reports directly to the Minister of Justice3 and is therefore outside the Department's governance framework. The Office is physically housed within the Department of Justice which also provides it with corporate services support.
The mandate of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime relates exclusively to matters of federal responsibility and includes:
Under the Department of Justice Act, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General provides legal services to the federal government and its departments and agencies. Under section 4 of the Act, the Minister is the legal member of the Queen's Privy Council responsible for seeing that the administration of public affairs is in accordance with the law. Additionally, under section 4.1, the Minister is responsible for drafting and reviewing all government regulations prior to registration to ensure conformity with the Statutory Instruments Act and all government bills prior to tabling in Parliament to ensure that the bills are not inconsistent with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Under section 5 of the Act, the Attorney General is responsible for advising the heads of government departments on all matters of law and for conducting all litigation for any federal department or agency of the Crown in respect of any subject within the authority or jurisdiction of Canada.
The Department seeks to attain this strategic outcome through one program activity - Services to Government.
Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending ($ millions) | |||||
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2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |||
FTEs | Planned Spending | FTEs | Planned Spending | FTEs | Planned Spending |
3,293 | 183.37 | 3,334 | 175.80 | 3,355 | 175.82 |
Note: Planned spending excludes respendable revenue.
Program Activity Expected Results |
Performance Indicators |
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Comprehensive delivery on the government's legislative agenda |
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Legal Advisory services to support the Government in attaining its priorities |
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Representing the Crown's interest to enable the Government to attain its priorities |
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Performance Measurement Strategy: Analysis of Departmental timekeeping and case management systems |
Overview
The Department provides an integrated suite of common legal advisory, legislative and regulatory drafting and litigation services to assist departments and agencies in meeting their policy and programming priorities and to advance the overall objectives of the government, including those related to sustainable development. In delivering these services, the Department provides coherent and coordinated legal advice in the conduct of core and ongoing operations as well as legal awareness training across government, actively defends the Crown's interests before the courts and administrative tribunals, and drafts bills and regulations that give effect to government priorities.
Client departments and agencies have a shared accountability for the government's use of legal services. Consequently, the alignment of legal services to government priorities is achieved through annual joint Department of Justice and client department planning and prioritizing sessions for the provision of legal services and a shared understanding of the impacts on legal risks. In addition, senior departmental officials regularly interact with their colleagues in client departments and in central agencies, and make adjustments from time to time to maintain the focus on government priorities.
The delivery of an integrated suite of legal advisory, litigation and legislative services through six portfoliosii is supported through:
There are a number of trends that are having impacts on our planning assumptions for fiscal year 2010-11 in delivering effective and responsive legal services to government. By way of examples, over the past two years, the levels of effort devoted to providing legal advisory and drafting services across government have increased by more than 4% per year and this trend is expected to continue. Additionally over the past three years, there has been an overall increase of 15% in the levels of effort devoted to managing the Government's litigation inventory. In part, this increase is due to a significant increase in the number of high risk litigation files in the Government's litigation inventory during the past three years. This trend is expected to continue.
Benefits for Canadians
The Department supports the Attorney General as the chief law officer of the Crown in the ongoing operations of government and in the provision of legal advice for the Government and all federal government departments and agencies. The Department represents the Crown in civil litigation, some criminal litigation and before administrative tribunals. The Department also drafts legislation and regulations, and responds to the other legal needs of federal departments and agencies.
In so doing, the Department directly and indirectly supports the federal government by preparing new and ongoing programs and services to Canadians; by ensuring that decision makers are able to factor the legal implications into their chosen courses of action; and by defending the government's ability to continue to provide programs and services in the face of court challenges.
Planning Highlights for 2010-11
In support of the expected results, the following highlights some of the key files and activities in which the Department will be engaged in providing legal support and policy advice to the government during 2010-114:
Economic Affairs
Social Affairs
International Affairs
Government Affairs
This program activity supports the Department's two strategic outcomes. Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of the Department. Treasury Board Secretariat has developed standardized categories for all federal organizations to use for reporting on internal services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization, representing indirect overhead, and not those services provided directly to a specific program area.
Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending ($ millions) | |||||
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2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |||
FTEs | Planned Spending | FTEs | Planned Spending | FTEs | Planned Spending |
1,215 | 104.76 | 1,237 | 104.44 | 1,248 | 104.10 |
Planning Highlights for 2010-11
The following provides highlights of some of the key internal services' activities upon which the Department will be engaged during 2010-11.
Law Practice Management
Renewal of Departmental Systems and Infrastructure
Financial Management
Public Service Renewal