2018-19 Departmental Plan
Plans at a Glance
Established in 1868, the Department of Justice supports the dual roles of the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Canada with respect to her responsibility for 53 statutes and areas of federal law regarding the administration of justice, the development of justice policy, and the provision of legal services and Cabinet advice.
Through its two core responsibilities of legal service delivery and justice system support, the Department supports many government initiatives and ministerial mandate letter commitments. To guide this work, the Department has developed a five-year strategy, which identifies its legal and policy directions, as well as management directions, from 2017 to 2022. In 2018-19, the Department will continue to pursue legal and policy priorities focused on providing high-quality legal services; reviewing the Government’s litigation strategy; transforming the criminal justice system; advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples; and strengthening human rights, governance and the rule of law.
In advancing its priorities, the Department will apply a range of critical considerations to ensure strong and evidence-based public policy and good governance. These include legal risk analysis; Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+); privacy considerations; and strategic environmental assessments.
Justice will also continue to promote and test improvements in program design and delivery. This includes the identification of $2million in 2018-19 to support innovations in Criminal Legal Aid. This investment is intended to allow provinces, territories and their legal aid plans to develop new ways of delivering legal aid services and to maintain modernization and accountability measures. Additionally, the Department will explore opportunities to leverage emerging technologies in service delivery, such as the potential use of Artificial Intelligence and the updating of tools to manage documentary evidence.
The following provides an outline of the Department’s key priorities in 2018-19 for each of its core responsibilities as well as its internal services.
Legal Services
Priority 1: High-Quality Legal Services and Litigation Review
The Department of Justice will support the implementation of many Government of Canada priorities through the delivery of high-quality, integrated legal services (advisory, litigation and legislative).
Key actions:
- Implementing the Minister of Justice’s mandate letter commitment to review the Government’s litigation strategy and to consider the policy, financial and legal implications of litigation involving Canada.
- Advancing the Government’s commitment to complete a review of laws and policies to ensure that the Crown is fulfilling its constitutional and international human rights obligations with regards to Crown-Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) relations.
Justice System Support
Priority 1: Fostering Safety and Security and Transforming the Criminal Justice System
The Department of Justice will work to ensure safety and security for Canadians while transforming the criminal justice system.
Key actions:
- Reviewing changes in the criminal justice system and sentencing reforms to ensure we are increasing the safety of communities and addressing any potential gaps while also addressing the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples and other vulnerable groups in the system.
- Promoting the rule of law by repealing or amending invalid Criminal Code provisions that have been found to be inconsistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- Continuing to work with the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to reform the Anti-Terrorism Act 2015 to balance security with rights and freedoms.
- Working with the Minister of Health and the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, to enact the proposed Cannabis Act to control and regulate the production of cannabis, including its distribution and sale.
- Working with the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, the Minister of Indigenous Services, and the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to address, throughout the criminal justice system, gaps in services to Indigenous people and those with mental illnesses.
Priority 2: Advancing Reconciliation
The Department of Justice will support the Government’s priority to advance reconciliation and to renew the nation-to-nation, Inuit‑Crown, and government-to-government relationship between Canada and Indigenous Peoples based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership.
Key actions:
- Reviewing laws and policies to ensure that the Crown is fulfilling its constitutional and international human rights obligations.
- Supporting the Government in its commitment to respond to the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
- Implementing of the Principles Respecting the Government of Canada’s Relationship with Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis).
- Supporting the development and implementation of a Recognition and Implementation of Indigenous Rights Framework.
Priority 3: Strengthening Human Rights, Governance and the Rule of Law
The Department of Justice will support the Government’s commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and assist the Government in advancing related domestic and international legal and policy interests through the development of public law policy.
Key actions:
- Ensuring that the rights of Canadians are protected, that the Government’s work demonstrates the greatest possible commitment to respecting the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and that the Government seeks to fulfill its policy goals with the least possible interference with the rights and privacy of Canadians.
- Consulting provinces and territories on the expansion of Unified Family Courts, and bringing forward implementing legislation and related measures.
- Providing policy support to officials in Canadian Heritage to restore a modern Court Challenges Program.
- Supporting the review of the Access to Information Act, including the commitment to apply that law appropriately to administrative bodies that support the federal courts.
Internal Services
Priority: Enabling Legal and Business Excellence
The Department of Justice Internal Services will enable legal and business excellence with a focus on the Department’s workforce, innovation, collaboration, and open, transparent and accountable operations.
Key actions:
- Continuing to support the Privy Council Office and the Cabinet Committee on Agenda, Results and Communications by reporting on the Department’s progress in advancing government-wide priorities and achieving meaningful results for Canadians.
- Engaging in discussions with stakeholders on the Department’s funding model for legal services, in order to identify and adopt a simplified and sustainable model.
- Continuing to promote digital approaches and strategies for information sharing and collaboration, including communicating across multiple platforms to engage Canadians in conversations about key justice priorities.
- Minimizing the impact of Pay Transformation implementation on Justice employees by dedicating additional resources to improve internal processes and tools, and provide training.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s plans, priorities and planned results, see the “Planned results” section of this report. For status on all commitments in the Prime Minister’s mandate letter please see the Mandate Letter Tracker: Delivering results for Canadians.
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