Planned Spending and Human Resources
This section provides an overview of the Department’s planned spending and human resources for the next three fiscal years and compares planned spending for 2023–24 with actual spending for the current year and the previous year.
Planned Spending
Departmental Spending 2020–21 to 2025–26
The following graph presents planned spending (voted and statutory expenditures) over time.
Text version
This vertical stacked column graph represents departmental spending trends for six fiscal years for the Department of Justice Canada. The graph presents a timeline (in fiscal years) on the horizontal axis and the amount of dollars (in millions of dollars) on the vertical axis. The timeline on the horizontal axis shows six columns; one for each fiscal year from 2020–21 on the left through to 2025–26. The columns for fiscal years 2020–21 and 2021–22 show actual spending, while the column for fiscal year 2022–23 shows forecast spending, and the columns for fiscal years 2023–24 to 2025–26 show planned spending.
The amount of millions of dollars on the vertical axis ranges from 0 on the bottom to 1,000.0 on the top. Each column displays an accumulated total of departmental spending for two categories of funding: statutory and voted. These two categories of funding are also displayed numerically below each column to indicate the precise amount of spending (in millions of dollars) for each of the six fiscal years presented.
The first column of the timeline, representing fiscal year 2020–21, displays $85.6 million in statutory spending and $747.3 million in voted spending, for a total actual spending of $832.9 million.
The second column of the timeline, representing fiscal year 2021–22, displays $85.8 million in statutory spending and $821.6 million in voted spending, for a total actual spending of $907.4 million.
The third column of the timeline, representing fiscal year 2022–23, displays $94.4 million in statutory spending and $899.7 million in voted spending, for a total forecast spending of $994.1 million.
The fourth column of the timeline, representing fiscal year 2023–24, displays $99.0 million in statutory spending and $888.5 million in voted spending, for a total planned spending of $987.6 million.
The fifth column of the timeline, representing fiscal year 2024–25, displays $98.9 million in statutory spending and $796.4 million in voted spending, for a total planned spending of $895.3 million.
The sixth and final column of the timeline, representing fiscal year 2025–26, displays $98.8 million in statutory spending and $781.1 million in voted spending, for a total planned spending of $880.0 million.
The Department of Justice Canada’s total planned spending for 2023–24 is $987.6 million:
- $234.9 million for Legal Services (24%)
- $667.8 million for Justice System Support (68%)
- $84.9 million for Internal Services (8%)
As the primary provider of legal services to federal government departments and agencies, the Department of Justice Canada has a Vote-Netted Revenue (VNR) authority to collect and spend revenue received from the provision of such services (respendable revenue). For the purpose of departmental reporting, this respendable revenue reduces total departmental authorities and operating expenditures. For comparability purposes, “planned spending” is net of respendable revenues.
Variance between 2022–23 Forecast Spending and 2023–24 Planned Spending
The Department’s planned spending for 2023–24 ($987.6 million) projects a net decrease of $6.5 million when compared with forecast spending for 2022–23 ($994.1 million). The decrease is mainly under the Internal Services core responsibility and is attributable to expenditures related to funding from Treasury Board Central Votes (such as the Operating Budget Carry Forward) that the Department received and is forecasting in 2022–23, which are not included in 2023–24 planned spending. The planned spending for 2023–24 and future years reflects only funds already approved through the Main Estimates. This decrease is offset mainly by an increase in the planned spending under the Legal Services core responsibility.
Variance from 2023–24 Planned Spending to 2025–26 Planned Spending
The Department’s planned spending projects a decrease from 2023–24 ($987.6 million) to 2025–26 ($880.0 million). This $107.6 million overall reduction is mainly attributable to decreases in funding and sunsetting of temporary funding announced under previous federal budgets (initiatives approved under Budgets 2018 to 2022) under the Justice System Support core responsibility.
Budgetary Planning Summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars)
The following table shows information on spending for each of the Department of Justice Canada’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for 2023–24 and other relevant fiscal years.
| Core Responsibilities and Internal Services | 2020–21 Actual Expenditures | 2021–22 Actual Expenditures | 2022–23 Forecast SpendingFootnote * of Table | 2023–24 Budgetary Spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) | 2023–24 Planned SpendingFootnote ** of Table | 2024–25 Planned SpendingFootnote ** of Table | 2025–26 Planned SpendingFootnote ** of Table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Services | 228,106,265 | 222,168,257 | 212,527,734 | 234,869,583 | 234,869,583 | 235,869,615 | 235,881,621 |
| Justice System Support | 497,598,856 | 582,469,495 | 668,726,797 | 667,792,826 | 667,792,826 | 575,236,726 | 559,797,561 |
| Subtotal | 725,705,121 | 804,637,752 | 881,254,531 | 902,662,409 | 902,662,409 | 811,106,341 | 795,679,182 |
| Internal Services | 107,148,024 | 102,779,851 | 112,824,919 | 84,890,347 | 84,890,347 | 84,175,143 | 84,315,541 |
| Total | 832,853,145 | 907,417,603 | 994,079,450 | 987,552,756 | 987,552,756 | 895,281,484 | 879,994,723 |
In the table above, the Legal Services core responsibility shows a decreasing trend in net spending from 2020–21 to 2022–23. This is due to the fact that revenues collected under Legal Services, which act to offset expenditures, have been increasing as demand climbs.
The Justice System Support core responsibility shows an increasing trend from 2020–21 to 2022–23, which is mainly attributable to an increase in spending in Grants and Contributions for the following programs:
- Youth Justice Services Funding Program
- Criminal Legal Aid Program
- Justice Partnerships and Innovation Program
- Indigenous Justice Program
- Immigration and Refugee Legal Aid Program
- Canadian Family Justice Fund
- Victims Fund
- Indigenous Courtwork Program
- Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund
- Drug Treatment Court Funding Program
The decreasing trend in Justice System Support planned spending for future years is mainly explained by the sunsetting of temporary contributions funding for the Criminal Legal Aid Program.
The decrease in planned spending in Internal Services for 2023–24 and future years is because future years’ planned spending does not include funds received from Treasury Board Central Votes (such as the Operating Budget Carry Forward).
2023–24 Budgetary Gross and Net Planned Spending Summary (dollars)
The following table reconciles gross planned spending with net planned spending for 2023–24.
| Core Responsibilities and Internal Services | 2023-24 Planned Gross Spending |
2023-24 Planned Revenues netted against Spending |
2023-24 Planned Net Spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Services | 617,151,583 | 382,282,000 | 234,869,583 |
| Justice System Support | 667,792,826 | 0 | 667,792,826 |
| Subtotal | 1,284,944,409 | 382,282,000 | 902,662,409 |
| Internal Services | 144,608,347 | 59,718,000 | 84,890,347 |
| Total | 1,429,552,756 | 442,000,000 | 987,552,756 |
The table above reflects the Department’s planned gross spending for 2023–24, which includes the VNR authority of $442.0 million. The Department’s 2023–24 VNR authority ($442.0 million) has increased by $75.2 million compared to the 2022–23 VNR authority ($366.8 million). This increase is to better align with the expected revenue, which is higher due to the increased demand for legal services.
The Department’s VNR authority is notionally distributed between the Legal Services core responsibility and Internal Services. The actual revenues distributed between programs could vary depending on numerous factors such as legal service rates approved periodically by Treasury Board, fluctuation in client departments’ demand for legal services, and the actual amount of revenues collected in excess of or less than the authority.
Departmental Vote-Netted Revenue Trend Graph (millions of dollars)
Text version
This vertical column graph represents departmental vote-netted revenue trends for six fiscal years for the Department of Justice Canada. The graph presents a timeline (in fiscal years) on the horizontal axis and the amount of dollars (in millions of dollars) on the vertical axis. The timeline on the horizontal axis shows six columns; one for each fiscal year from 2020–21 on the left through to 2025–26. The columns for fiscal years 2020–21 and 2021–22 show actual vote-netted revenue, while the column for fiscal year 2022–23 shows forecasted vote-netted revenue and the columns for fiscal years 2023–24 to 2025–26 show planned vote-netted revenue.
The amount of millions of dollars on the vertical axis ranges from 310.0 on the bottom to 470.0 on the top. Each column displays the amount of vote-netted revenue per fiscal year. This information is also displayed numerically below each column to indicate the precise amount of vote-netted revenue (in millions of dollars) for each of the six fiscal years presented.
The first column of the timeline, representing fiscal year 2020–21, displays $360.1 million in actual vote-netted revenue.
The second column of the timeline, representing fiscal year 2021–22, displays $393.3 million in actual vote-netted revenue.
The third column of the timeline, representing fiscal year 2022–23, displays $432.8 million in forecasted vote-netted revenue.
The fourth, fifth and sixth columns of the timeline, representing fiscal years 2023–24 to 2025–26, each display $442.0 million in planned vote-netted revenue.
As shown in the graph above, the forecasted amount of VNR for the Department, as of October 31, 2022 is expected to reach $432.8 million in 2022–23. This forecast is higher than actual VNR for 2021–22 ($393.3 million) due to higher demand for legal services for a broad variety of client departments and agencies in such areas as tax and Indigenous matters.
Planned Human Resources
The following table shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of the Department of Justice Canada’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for 2023–24 and the other relevant years.
Human Resources Planning Summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services
| Core Responsibilities and Internal Services | 2020–21 Actual Full-Time Equivalents | 2021–22 Actual Full-Time Equivalents | 2022–23 Forecast Full-Time EquivalentsFootnote * of Table | 2023–24 Planned Full-Time Equivalents | 2024–25 Planned Full-Time Equivalents | 2025–26 Planned Full-Time Equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Services | 3,361 | 3,477 | 3,671 | 3,681 | 3,688 | 3,693 |
| Justice System Support | 308 | 332 | 366 | 372 | 372 | 372 |
| Subtotal | 3,669 | 3,809 | 4,037 | 4,053 | 4,060 | 4,065 |
| Internal Services | 1,053 | 1,091 | 1,123 | 1,127 | 1,127 | 1,127 |
| Total | 4,722 | 4,900 | 5,160 | 5,180 | 5,187 | 5,192 |
Overall, there is an increasing trend in FTEs over the three-year period from 2020–21 to 2022–23. The Legal Services core responsibility shows an increase of 310 FTEs; this is largely explained by an increase of the workforce to meet the increased demand for legal services.
The Justice System Support core responsibility shows an increase of 58 FTEs; this is mainly explained by an increase of the workforce to support the delivery of new initiatives for which new funding was approved in Budget 2021 and Budget 2022.
Internal Services shows an increase of 70 FTEs; this is mainly explained by an increase of the corporate support workforce to meet the needs of the Department in such areas as: Human Resources Management Services, the delivery of new initiatives for which new funding was approved in Budget 2021 and Budget 2022, as well as other projects and initiatives such as the creation of an Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Secretariat.
Estimates by Vote
Information on the Department of Justice Canada’s organizational appropriations is available in the 2023–24 Main Estimates.
Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations
The Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations provides an overview of the Department of Justice Canada’s operations for 2022–23 to 2023–24.
The forecast and planned amounts in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The forecast and planned amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.
A more detailed Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations with the requested authorities, are available on the Department of Justice Canada’s website.
Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations for the Year Ending March 31, 2024 (thousands of dollars)
| Financial Information | 2022-23 Forecast Results |
2023-24 Planned Results |
Difference (2023-24 Planned Results minus 2022-23 Forecast Results) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenses | 1,522,957 | 1,526,547 | 3,590 |
| Total Revenues | 432,834 | 442,000 | 9,166 |
| Net Cost of Operations Before Government Funding and Transfers | 1,090,123 | 1,084,547 | (5,576) |
Total expenses are forecasted to increase by $3.6 million, from $1,522.9 million in 2022–23 to $1,526.5 million in 2023–24. This variance is mainly explained by the following:
- Increase in the vote-netted revenue authority due to the increase in demand for legal services, which is accompanied by a corresponding increase in the operating budget;
- Increase of expenses related to the following initiatives:
- Funding for the Implementation of the UN Declaration Act;
- Funding to support Government-wide Legislative and Regulatory Initiatives.
Offset by:
- A decrease in operating expenditures, primarily explained by funding received in 2022–23 from Treasury Board Central Votes being included in the 2022–23 forecast, but excluded from 2023–24 planned spending.
The variance in revenues shows an increase of $9.2 million, from $432.8 million in 2022–23 to $442.0 million in 2023–24, which is in line with the expected increasing demand for legal services.
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