Department of Justice Canada’s 2023–24 Departmental Results Report: At a glance
This Departmental Results Report provides an account of actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the associated Departmental Plan.
Read the full Departmental results report
Key priorities
The top priorities for the Department of Justice Canada (Justice Canada) in 2023–24 were as follows:
- Keeping Canadians safe in our communities and online
- Supporting the needs of the courts
- Improving access to justice in Canada, particularly for Black, Indigenous and racialized people, and supporting victims and survivors of crime
- Delivering on the Government of Canada’s reconciliation agenda and addressing systemic discrimination and racism
Budget 2023 announced that spending on professional services and travel would be refocused starting in 2023–24. By optimizing its existing workforce and using new technology to conduct its work, Justice Canada reduced spending on professional services and travel by $1.24 million.
Highlights
In 2023–24, the total actual spending (including internal services) for Justice Canada was $1.11 billion and the total full-time equivalent (FTE) staff (including internal services) was 5,443. For complete information on the Department’s total spending and human resources, please read the Spending and human resources section of the full report.
The following provides a summary of the Department’s achievements in 2023–24 according to its approved Departmental Results Framework. A departmental results framework consists of a department’s core responsibilities, the results it plans to achieve and the performance indicators that measure progress toward these results.
Core responsibility 1: Legal Services
Actual spending: $226,652,246
Actual human resources: 3,897
Departmental results achieved
- Departments and agencies receive high quality legal services.
Key achievements
Justice Canada provided legal services to federal departments and agencies with regard to:
- Advancing meaningful reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, which includes furthering the Government of Canada’s commitment to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UN Declaration Act) and the associated Action Plan.
- Implementing the Government’s legislative and regulatory agenda.
- Measures, including legislative initiatives, that combat serious forms of harmful online content, such as the abuse and exploitation of children online.
- Improving access to healthcare, dental care and prescription drugs for people in Canada.
- Implementing Indigenous child and family services legislation, including the negotiation of active coordination agreement tables and the implementation of concluded coordination agreements pursuant to An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families.
- Engagement relating to advancing First Nations policing legislation.
- Strategic litigation advice and guidance in the development of legal positions and strategies for complex cases and when possible, strategic recommendations for mediation or settlement.
More information about Legal Services can be found in the “Results – what we achieved” section of the full Departmental Results Report.
Core responsibility 2: Justice System Support
Actual spending: $750,690,516
Actual human resources: 390
Departmental results achieved
- 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 criminal justice system supports alternative ways of responding to the causes and consequences of offending.
- Canadians in contact with the justice system have access to appropriate services enabling a fair, timely and accessible justice system.
Key achievements
- Contributed to a renewed relationship with First Nations, Inuit and Métis through ongoing consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples, their governments and representative organizations, and collaboration with federal, provincial and territorial government partners. This advanced work to implement the UN Declaration Act and the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People, as well as the broader National Action Plan: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People. This work responded to the Justice-specific Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the Justice-specific Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
- Continued development of an Indigenous Justice Strategy, to address systemic discrimination and overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples, through in-person engagement.
- Supported the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy to address anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination that have led to the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system, including as victims of crime.
- Expanded and enhanced funding through the Federal Victims Strategy to support families of missing and murdered women and girls, men and boys, and 2SLGBTQI+ people and increased support for Indigenous victims and survivors of crime.
- Continued to support the Minister of Justice on the ongoing parliamentary process to establish an independent Miscarriage of Justice Review Commission.
- Led legal policy work on proposed amendments to legislation such as the Criminal Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act, introduced in Bill C-63, to enhance the safety of people in communities and online, to address the rise in hate-motived crimes, and protect children from online exploitation.
- Introduced measures to address auto theft, as well as its links to organized crime.
More information about Justice System Support can be found in the “Results – what we achieved” section of the full Departmental Results Report.
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