2024–25 Departmental Plan

From the Minister

I am pleased to present the Department of Justice Canada’s 2024–25 Departmental Plan.

This report sets out Justice Canada’s key priorities as well as the results we are working to achieve to ensure that Canada’s justice system is fair, relevant and accessible for all. The Department supports a wide range of Government of Canada priorities by delivering high-quality, integrated legal advisory, litigation, legislative and other professional services, as well as providing programs and services to support the justice system and serve the public.

In the coming year, the Department will focus on a number of key priorities: keeping Canadians safe in their communities and online; supporting survivors and victims and improving access to justice; addressing systemic racism and discrimination throughout the justice system; and making progress on the path to reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis.

Our work to keep Canadians safe includes addressing gender-based and intimate-partner violence. We will also continue to advance the Federal Victims Strategy to improve access to justice for survivors and victims of crime, with a particular focus on survivors and victims of sexual assault and intimate partner violence.

The Department will continue to combat hate, including online hate. The Department will work with Canadian Heritage and Public Safety, to develop legislation to combat serious forms of harmful online content and hold social media platforms and other online services accountable for the content they host. The Department will also support efforts to address the dangers of online sexual exploitation and abuse of children and the distribution of intimate images without consent more effectively.

A strong justice system must be fair and accessible, and it must protect the most vulnerable in our society. To meet these goals, we are also focused on addressing the systemic racism and discrimination that have led to the overrepresentation of Indigenous people, Black people and other racialized individuals in our criminal justice system — including as victims and survivors of crime.

As part of this work, Justice Canada will develop an implementation plan for Canada’s Black Justice Strategy in response to the external Steering Group’s Final Strategy Report. That report, expected in early 2024, will outline concrete recommendations that will help to ensure that Black people have full access to equal treatment before and under the law in our country.

Justice Canada will also work to secure the passage of legislation that establishes a Miscarriage of Justice Review Commission, which would review, investigate, and decide which cases should be returned to the justice system due to a potential miscarriage of justice.

The Department continues to support the work of reconciliation and a renewed relationship with First Nations, Inuit and Métis, as well as efforts to address the challenges of systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice system. Key to this work is the Indigenous Justice Strategy. This strategy is being developed with Indigenous partners, and in consultation with provinces and territories. The Strategy, which we expect to finalize in 2024, will support the revitalization of Indigenous legal traditions and justice systems, while also creating needed change within the existing criminal justice system.

Justice Canada is also part of the whole-of-government effort to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the federal level through the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and the associated Action Plan.

Justice Canada will also continue work on amending the federal Interpretation Act to include a non-derogation clause associated with upholding section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, which would apply to all federal laws.

It is also engaged in answering the justice-related Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, as well as implementing the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan.

Further, we continue to support the work of the Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites associated with Indian Residential Schools, Kimberly Murray. Her interim report, released in June 2023, included recommendations that will inform a federal legal framework to preserve and protect the rights and respect the dignity of the children buried in unmarked graves and burial sites connected to former Indian residential schools. I look forward to receiving the Special Interlocutor’s final report, expected in June 2024.

I encourage everyone to read this Departmental Plan to learn more about what we are doing to build a more fair, relevant and accessible justice system for all Canadians.

The Honourable Arif Virani, P.C., M.P.

Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Plans to deliver on core responsibilities and internal services

Core responsibilities and internal services:

Legal Services
Justice System Support
Internal services

Legal Services

In this section

Description

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada provides legal services to the federal government and its departments and agencies. The Minister is responsible for seeing that the administration of public affairs is in accordance with the law. The Minister is also responsible for examining all government bills and all government regulations for inconsistency with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Additionally, the Attorney General is responsible for advising the heads of departments on all matters of law and for conducting all litigation for federal departments and agencies on subjects within the authority or jurisdiction of Canada.

Quality of life impacts

This core responsibility contributes to the “Good Governance” domain of the Quality of Life Framework for Canada and the subdomains “Democracy and Institutions”, “Justice and Human Rights”, “Safety and Security”, “Resolution of serious legal problems” and “Confidence in Institutions” through the activities mentioned in the description above.

By providing legal services in support of client priorities and commitments, this core responsibility also contributes to the following domains and subdomains, among others: “Prosperity” (e.g., Economic Security and Deprivation), “Health” (e.g., the Health Care System), “Society” (e.g., Culture and Identity), and “Environment” (e.g., Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Ecological Integrity and Environment Stewardship).

Results and targets

The following table shows the indicators and results for Legal Services from the three most recently reported fiscal years (2020–21 to 2022–23) and the targets and target dates for the 2024–25 fiscal year.

Table 1: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Departments and agencies receive high quality legal services”

Indicator	2020–21 result	2021–22 result	2022–23 result	Target	Date to achieve
Client satisfaction mean rating on the overall quality of legal services.	8.5¹	8.6²	8.6³	8 or greater on a 10-point scale	March 2025
Client satisfaction mean rating on the provision of legal services against the Service Standards.	8.7⁴	8.8⁵	8.7⁶	8 or greater on a 10-point scale	March 2025
Percentage of litigation files resolved in a fiscal year that have a successful outcome (settled or adjudicated) from the Crown’s perspective.	92%	92%	90%	75% or greater	March 2025

Explanation of table 1

1 The 2020–21 result reflects interim feedback collected during Cycle IV of the CFS with a weighting strategy applied to ensure accurate representation of client feedback. Disaggregated results: Advisory: 8.6; Litigation: 8.4; Legislative: 8.6; Regulatory: 8.8.

2 The 2021–22 result reflects interim feedback collected during Cycle IV of the CFS with a weighting strategy applied to ensure accurate representation of client feedback. Disaggregated results: Advisory: 8.6; Litigation: 8.6; Legislative: 8.7; Regulatory: 8.6.T

3 The 2022–23 result reflects all data collected during Cycle IV of the CFS with a weighting strategy applied to ensure accurate representation of client feedback. Disaggregated results: Advisory: 8.6; Litigation: 8.5; Legislative and Regulatory: 8.6.

4 The 2020–21 result reflects interim feedback collected during Cycle IV of the CFS with a weighting strategy applied to ensure accurate representation of client feedback. Disaggregated results: Responsiveness/Accessibility: 9.0; Usefulness: 8.6; Timeliness: 8.4.

5 The 2021–22 result reflects interim feedback collected during Cycle IV of the CFS with a weighting strategy applied to ensure accurate representation of client feedback. Disaggregated results: Responsiveness/Accessibility: 9.0; Usefulness: 8.8; Timeliness: 8.5.

6 The 2022–23 result reflects all data collected during Cycle IV of the CFS with a weighting strategy applied to ensure accurate representation of client feedback. Disaggregated results: Responsiveness/Accessibility: 9.0; Usefulness: 8.7; Timeliness: 8.5.

The financial, human resources and performance information for Justice Canada’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

Departmental Result: Departments and agencies receive high-quality legal services.

Justice Canada will provide integrated legal advisory services, litigation services, and legislative and regulatory drafting services to client departments and agencies to support their priorities and ministerial mandate letter commitments. .

Assisting Canadians in need

Justice Canada will provide legal services to client departments and agencies in support of initiatives that assist Canadians in need, notably:

The Department of Finance Canada (Finance Canada) to support preparation of the federal budget and related budget implementation acts. Justice Canada will also advise on areas such as housing affordability, transfers for health care, dental care benefits, and tax policy.
Health Canada for matters relating to the Canada Health Act and Canadians’ access to medical and dental care, prescription drugs, and other associated services.

Protecting Canadians

With regard to the public safety of Canadians, Justice Canada will provide legal services to client departments and agencies, including:

Canadian Heritage (PCH) in the development of legislation to combat serious forms of harmful online content and hold social media platforms and other online services accountable for the content they host. This includes strengthening the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code to more effectively combat online hate.
Finance Canada, Canada Revenue Agency and Public Safety Canada (PS), to continue to collaborate in the development of new policies and legislation to reduce organized crime and gang activity in Canada. This includes the creation of the new Canada Financial Crimes Agency, as well as measures that address money laundering and ensure the integrity of financial institutions and the safety and security of the financial system.
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to ensure the ongoing delivery of defence procurements in support of Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada's Defence Policy.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) for the passage of Bill C-34, An Act to amend the Investment Canada Act, and the implementation of these amendments, as well as the operationalization and enforcement of any new measures to address economic-based threats to Canada’s national security.
PS, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and the Canada Border Services Agency to support the Government of Canada’s commitments on firearms and to strengthen measures to control the flow of illegal guns into Canada.
PS, the RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Communications Security Establishment, and the Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces regarding issues surrounding foreign interference (e.g., the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions).

Sustainability and environmental priorities

Justice Canada will provide legal services on matters related to Canada’s climate and environmental priorities to client departments and agencies, such as:

Natural Resources Canada in the delivery of clean energy and clean growth projects to meet Canada’s net-zero targets, including on the development and implementation of programs to address various environmental concerns, such as the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to ensure that the Government meets its goals to conserve 25% of Canada’s lands and waters by 2025 and 30% by 2030 and to establish new national parks and new national marine conservation areas by these target dates.
Finance Canada in its responsibility to manage public debt, as well as the legal risks associated with the issuance of bonds and the design and implementation of new debt instruments, such as Canada’s inaugural $5 billion green bond.
ECCC on initiatives aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, and on implementing measures to protect and support the recovery of species at risk and to create national wildlife areas and other protected areas.
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) in their strategic review of government programs and policies, which focuses on examining how major programs and policies contribute to meeting challenges such as achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, improving fairness and equality, and promoting quality of life and growth for everyone.

Indigenous rights and relations

Justice Canada will provide whole-of-government legal services, guided by the constitutional principle of the honour of the Crown, to client departments and agencies on initiatives that contribute to the Government’s reconciliation agenda, such as those related to section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, the duty to consult, fiduciary duties, historical and modern treaties, litigation, and Aboriginal and treaty rights. The Department’s work will include providing legal services to the following:

All federal departments for the ongoing implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UN Declaration Act) as well as other initiatives that contribute to the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, with respect to the management of Canadian fisheries and aquaculture, which includes the negotiation and implementation of fisheries agreements with Indigenous communities and enhanced involvement of Indigenous peoples in the management of aquaculture.
PSPC on government-wide initiatives to increase the diversity of bidders on government contracts, including small businesses and businesses led by Indigenous people, Black and racialized people, women, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals and other under-represented groups.
PS and the RCMP regarding public safety issues relevant to Indigenous communities, such as policing and by-law enforcement.
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) in support of:
- the co-development of Bill C-61, An Act respecting water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on First Nation lands;
- the resolution of specific claims, which are claims made by First Nations against the Government of Canada relating to the administration of land and other First Nation assets and to the fulfilment of historic treaties and other agreements;
- the co-development of reforms to improve the Specific Claims Policy and process;
- the implementation of Indigenous child and family services legislation, including the negotiation and conclusion of coordination agreements pursuant to An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families;
- the development of policy options for a redesign of the federal Addition to Reserve Policy, to ensure that First Nations can create and add land to reserves effectively and efficiently.
- Nunavut devolution, which entails devolving responsibilities and powers for land and resource management to the Government of Nunavut;
- the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, including initiatives related to unmarked graves and burial sites associated with Indian Residential Schools; and
- settlement agreement negotiations to resolve the Assembly of First Nations/Caring Society complaint before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and Federal Court Actions and implementation of ensuing settlement agreements, including the long-term reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program and Jordan’s Principle.

Justice Canada will also continue to integrate the Principles Respecting the Government of Canada’s Relationship with Indigenous Peoples (the Principles) into its legal advice by providing tools and training to departmental employees on cultural competency, the Principles, and the Attorney General of Canada’s Directive on Civil Litigation Involving Indigenous Peoples.

Regulatory and legislative reform

Justice Canada will provide legal services to client departments and agencies on matters relating to regulatory and legislative reform, including:

ISED on the implementation of Bill C-27, the Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022, which comprises three Acts: the Consumer Privacy Protection Act, the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act.
Transport Canada and Infrastructure Canada on the implementation of key infrastructure projects, including the Lac-Mégantic Bypass, the Pont de Québec, the High-Frequency Rail, the Gordie Howe International Bridge, and various housing projects.
Transport Canada on initiatives promoting a more efficient and resilient transportation system in support of secure supply chains in Canada.
Global Affairs Canada and other departments and agencies to pursue the identification, seizure, forfeiture, and redistribution of assets seized under Canada’s sanctions legislation.
Employment and Social Development Canada in relation to the Labour Program and the implementation of the Pay Equity Act across federally regulated workplaces.
ISED and the Competition Bureau on reforms to the Competition Act, such as the implementation of Bill C-323, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act, and a broad review of the current legislative and structural elements that may restrict or hinder competition.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the ongoing efforts to modernize the Canada Grain Act.
PSPC with respect to ongoing efforts to modernize Canada’s procurement system, including the contract modernization initiative, electronic procurement system implementation, and harmonized procurement regulation.
PCH and TBS in implementing Bill C-13, An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada’s Official Languages, and the subsequently created Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act, notably by helping to develop the regulations that will result from Bill C-13, and by providing legal advice and training on Bill C-13 to all federal departments and agencies in collaboration with PCH and TBS.
Finance Canada in drafting federal taxation legislation.

Justice Canada will also provide legal services in support of making the Canadian regulatory system more agile, transparent and responsive so that businesses across the country can explore and act on new opportunities, resulting in benefits for all Canadians. For example, Justice Canada will continue to work with client departments and agencies on modernizing regulations and advancing regulatory schemes related to agri-food and aquaculture, health and biosciences, and transportation and infrastructure.

Additionally, Justice Canada will continue to work with client departments and agencies on further regulatory initiatives in the areas of clean technology, digitalization and technology neutrality, international standards, and efforts to support efficient and effective supply chains. This work includes:

exploring opportunities for the regulatory system to enhance clean technology innovation, adoption and competitiveness;
advancing the development, adoption, and support of digital tools and processes in the regulatory space, and examining existing regulations to support technology neutrality; and
examining strategic opportunities to better incorporate international standards in regulation, while ensuring that Canada’s robust standards for health, safety, security and environmental protection are maintained.

Other legal services and support

Notable examples of other legal services and support include the provision of legal services to:

The Competition Bureau, including legal advisory support and litigation on behalf of the Competition Bureau, which supports innovation and competitiveness in the Canadian economy (e.g., in the oil and gas sector and the telecommunications sector).
TBS to support digital delivery approaches for major projects that better serve Canadians, replacing outdated IT systems and modernizing the way the government delivers benefits and services to Canadians.
The Clerk of the Privy Council and the Privy Council Office, as well as a wide range of federal departments, on questions and litigation involving Cabinet confidences.
TBS concerning the government’s commitment to improving diversity and inclusion in the public service, including career advancement and the establishment of a mental health fund for Black employees, as well as the restorative engagement process and other actions to further address harassment, discrimination and other barriers in the federal workplace.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in its strategic immigration review exercise, An Immigration System for Canada’s Future, on matters relating to policy, operational, and legislative and regulatory changes that may arise from this review.

Litigation strategies and positions

In addition to legal services provided to client departments and agencies, Justice Canada will also advance litigation strategies. This will include:

Collaborating with federal departments and agencies on cross-governmental litigation positions that involve early resolution or settlement, opportunities to narrow litigation issues, legislative and regulatory reform, or resolution through government initiatives and programs.
Strengthening the strategic management of high-profile litigation cases (e.g., class actions and constitutional challenges, including those brought by Indigenous peoples) and high-volume litigation cases using a whole-of-government approach. The Department will ensure that litigation strategies are consistent with the Principles and the Directive on Civil Litigation Involving Indigenous Peoples. For example, Justice Canada will participate in senior strategic committees to support the review of litigation strategy and consideration of policy, financial and legal implications of complex litigation involving the Government.
Developing innovative methods and tools that support litigation teams (e.g., use of new technologies and artificial intelligence to enhance reporting to clients, digitization and management of physical records, and secure document sharing).

Key risks

Cultivating and maintaining productive relationships with client departments, partners and stakeholders enables Justice Canada to achieve its expected results. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical importance of strategic client and people-centred relationships that provide solutions to address new and complex issues. As legal practices, client priorities and demands for legal services continue to evolve, the Department could face new challenges in meeting client expectations in some areas and delivering effective, fiscally sustainable services. Moving forward, renewed emphasis on these relationships is necessary to navigate new situations, find ways of working better, and strive for excellent results and outcomes for those who use our services.

The Department will advance its priority of strengthening strategic partnerships with clients by continuing to enhance its business processes, provide meaningful legal risk assessments, and be a trusted and collaborative partner. Justice Canada will continue to focus on collaboration and joint planning with client departments and partners in central agencies to meet Government and client priorities, including working with clients to prioritize efforts and manage demand. The Department will also continue to capture feedback through the Legal Services Client Feedback Survey, which has been modernized to reflect updated service standards that will ensure services are relevant to and aligned with client needs.

Beyond cultivating and maintaining its client relationships, the Department is also managing internally focused areas of strategic risk related to cybersecurity, employee wellness, data and information, and the workplace of the future. These risk areas, which could impact the Department’s legal services delivery capacity, are being addressed through priorities and strategies outlined in the Internal Services section of this Plan.

Snapshot of planned resources in 2024–25

Planned spending: $230,876,958
Planned full-time resources: 3,918

Related government priorities

Gender-based Analysis Plus

Justice Canada will continue to use Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) to ensure inclusive and equitable outcomes for Canadians in relation to this core responsibility by promoting the incorporation of intersectional GBA Plus considerations into the work of counsel on legal advisory, litigation and legislative files. The Department recently released its GBA Plus Guide for Canada’s Legal Team and it will continue to work internally to integrate and apply equity-enhancing considerations into the provision of legal services and in decision-making processes.

For more information and examples, see the 2024–25 Departmental Plan GBA Plus Supplementary Information Table on the Justice Canada website.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Justice Canada will continue to lead the Government’s efforts to advance Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, entitled “Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.” For example, the Department will contribute to advancing SDG 16 by providing legal services related to the following initiatives:

Implementation of the UN Declaration Act, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action and the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Continued departmental training as needed on the Principles and the Directive on Civil Litigation Involving Indigenous Peoples, as well as other cross-cultural and distinctions-based training that includes the history of Crown-Indigenous relations, which will lead to improved understanding of social, economic, and political inequalities and the promotion of more inclusive societies.
International cooperation to strengthen justice systems.
Supporting Canada’s Anti-Money Laundering/Anti-Terrorist Financing Regime.
Obligations imposed by Justice Canada on legal agents of the Minister to abide by Canada’s anti-corruption and anti-bribery legal framework in Canada and abroad.
Anti-corruption efforts through a designated anti-corruption coordinator, in addition to the International Assistance Group’s efforts as Canada’s central authority for extradition and mutual legal assistance. This includes implementing the United Nations Convention against Corruption through mutual legal assistance and extradition requests.

Justice Canada will also support other SDGs, including by providing legal services in relation to:

housing needs, health care, and dental care (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being);
ISC’s efforts to eliminate all long-term drinking water advisories on reserve, implementation of any drinking water legislation if introduced and enacted, and the development of any ensuing regulations (SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation);
modernizing Canada’s regulatory system (SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure); and
initiatives that promote climate action (SDG 13: Climate Action).

More information on Justice Canada’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in Justice Canada’s Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Program inventory

The Legal Services core responsibility is supported by the following programs in the program inventory:

Advisory Services
Litigation Services
Legislative Services

Additional information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to Justice Canada’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Justice System Support

In this section

Description

The Department plays an essential role in ensuring a fair, relevant and accessible Canadian justice system. This is a shared responsibility among a broad range of players, including Parliament, the judiciary, federal departments and agencies, partners in provincial, territorial and municipal governments, a broad range of non-governmental organizations and stakeholders, and, ultimately, all Canadians.

Quality of life impacts

This core responsibility contributes to the “Good Governance” domain of the Quality of Life Framework for Canada and the subdomains “Access to fair and equal justice,” “Justice and Human Rights,” “Safety and Security,” and “Confidence in Institutions” through Justice Canada’s work in matters relating to the administration of justice within the federal domain.

Results and targets

The following tables show the indicators and results for Justice System Support from the three most recently reported fiscal years (2020–21 to 2022–23) and the targets and target dates for the 2024–25 fiscal year.

Table 2: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “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”

Indicator	2020–21 result	2021–22 result	2022–23 result	Target	Date to achieve
Canada’s international ranking with respect to the rule of law	8.6% (12th/139)⁷	8.6% (12th/140)	8.5% (12th/142)	Top 10%	March 2025
Percentage of Canadians who have confidence that the Canadian criminal justice system is fair to all people	51% of Canadians have moderate to high confidence that the criminal justice system is fair⁸	50% of Canadians have moderate to high confidence that the criminal justice system is fair⁹	50% of Canadians have moderate to high confidence that the criminal justice system is fair¹⁰	70% or greater¹¹	March 2025
Percentage of Canadians who have confidence that the Canadian criminal justice system is accessible to all people	52% of Canadians have moderate to high confidence that the criminal justice system is accessible¹²	58% of Canadians have moderate to high confidence that the criminal justice system is accessible¹³	58% of Canadians have moderate to high confidence that the criminal justice system is accessible¹⁴	70% or greater¹⁵	March 2025
Number of constitutional challenges in the provincial and territorial courts of appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada	Provincial / territorial courts of appeal: 27 Federal Court of Appeal: 5 Supreme Court of Canada: 10	Provincial / territorial courts of appeal: 17 Federal Court of Appeal: 1 Supreme Court of Canada: 4	Provincial / territorial courts of appeal: 35 Federal Court of Appeal: 4 Supreme Court of Canada: 3	Not applicable¹⁶	March 2025

Explanation of table 2

7 Eleven countries were added to the Rule of Law Index 2021 according to the World Justice Project.

8 The 2021 National Justice Survey asked respondents to rate their confidence “today” (on the day surveyed) and “before the pandemic.” The percentages reported above reflect confidence “on the day surveyed.” According to the responses in the 2021 Final Report regarding confidence “before the pandemic,” 55% of Canadians had moderate to high confidence that the criminal justice system was fair.

9 The 2022 National Justice Survey took place from February 15 to March 10, 2022.

10 The 2023 National Justice Survey took place from March 9 to May 18, 2023.

11 The 2022–23 fiscal year is the first year that targets have been set for this indicator, and it therefore does not apply to previously reported results.

12 The 2021 National Justice Survey asked respondents to rate their confidence “today” (on the day surveyed) and “before the pandemic.” The percentages reported above reflect confidence “on the day surveyed.” According to the responses in the 2021 Final Report regarding confidence “before the pandemic,” 52% of Canadians had moderate to high confidence that the criminal justice system was accessible.

13 See footnote 9.

14 See footnote 10.

15 See footnote 11.

16 Measure not appropriate for establishing a target. Indicator is better suited to demonstrating trends.

Table 3: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “The criminal justice system supports alternative ways of responding to the causes and consequences of offending”

Indicator	2020–21 result	2021–22 result	2022–23 result	Target	Date to achieve
Number of restorative justice programs available	450 restorative justice programs¹⁷	462 restorative justice programs¹⁸	431 restorative justice programs¹⁹	400 or greater²⁰	March 2025
Percentage of adult court cases which received a non-custodial sentence	52% of adults received a non-custodial sentence²¹	56% of adults received a non-custodial sentence²²	Not available²³	Between 52% and 56%	March 2025
Percentage of youth court cases which received a non-custodial sentence	90%²⁴	91%²⁵	Not available²⁶	85% or greater	March 2025
Number of youths receiving specialized treatment through the Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision program	100	105	117	90 or greater	March 2025

Explanation of table 3

17 The Directory of Restorative Justice only provides information on the number of self-reported restorative justice programs available. Note that not all programs reported in the Directory received funding from Justice Canada.

18 See footnote 17.

19 There is an apparent decrease in restorative justice programs for 2022–23 as some jurisdictions reported their restorative justice program as a single aggregate organization instead of multiple satellite offices, which differs from how it was reported through the Directory of Restorative Justice in the past. In reality, the number of restorative justice programs available increased from the 2020–21 fiscal year.

20 The target has been adjusted to reflect a change in reporting methodology in which some jurisdictions now report their restorative justice programs in the Directory of Restorative Justice as single entries by organization as opposed to multiple entries based on an organization’s satellite offices.

21 In 2020–21, 56% of adults found guilty under the Criminal Code (excluding traffic offences) received a custodial sentence (Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0031-01 Adult criminal courts, guilty cases by most serious sentence).

22 In 2021–22, 62% of adults found guilty under the Criminal Code (excluding traffic offences) received a custodial sentence (Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0031-01 Adult criminal courts, guilty cases by most serious sentence)

23 2022–23 annual data will be published by Statistics Canada in the fall of 2024.

24 In 2020–21, 10% of youth found guilty under the Criminal Code (excluding traffic offences) received a custodial sentence, whereas 90% received a non-custodial (community-based) sentence (Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0042-01 Youth courts, guilty cases by most serious sentence).

25 In 2021–22, 9% of youth found guilty under the Criminal Code (excluding traffic offences) received a custodial sentence, whereas 91% received a non-custodial (community-based) sentence (Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0042-01 Youth courts, guilty cases by most serious sentence).

26 See footnote 22.

Table 4: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Canadians in contact with the justice system have access to appropriate services enabling a fair, timely and accessible justice system”

Indicator	2020–21 result	2021–22 result	2022–23 result	Target	Date to achieve
Percentage of federal funds accessed by provinces, territories, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders to deliver targeted services consistent with federal priorities	98%	97%	99%²⁷	Between 97% and 100%	March 2025
Number of Indigenous people who received services from an Indigenous courtworker	41,012²⁸	Not available²⁹	Not available³⁰	68,000 or greater	March 2025
Number of times duty counsel provides assistance in criminal matters	670,286³¹	836,147³²	Not available³³	1,000,000 or greater	March 2025
Number of full service criminal legal aid applications approved	199,767³⁴	211,623³⁵	Not available³⁶	190,000 or greater	March 2025
Percentage of Office of the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime client inquiries or complaints that are assessed and acted upon	100%	100%	100%	100%	March 2025

Explanation of table 4

27 The result (99%) remains consistent with that of previous reporting periods, though slightly below the target. Some of the lapsed funds are attributable to historical programs lapses such as the State-Funded Counsel Program and the Special Advocates Program (demand driven by court orders) and Contraventions Act Fund (which is not fully committed). The Department continues to work diligently toward having provinces, territories, and municipalities sign Contraventions Act administration and enforcement agreements containing language rights provisions supported by the Fund. However, negotiations and progress depend largely on the capacity of the provinces. The remainder of lapsing funds are attributable to last minute de-commitments by recipients (mostly provinces and territories) and some reduction in uptake from recipients for projects related to the Divorce Act (C-78).

28 The number of ICW clients served did not meet the target due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reported figure does not include clients served in Manitoba as the province has yet to report for 2020–21.

29 Result for 2021–22 is not yet available in full as there have been some delays in reporting and not all regions have yet submitted their information.

30 Result for 2022–23 is not yet available as Indigenous courtwork delivery agencies are not due to submit data until December 2023.

31 The Legal Aid in Canada 2020–21 report shows that the number of duty counsel assists dropped by 38% in 2020-21 in the wake of the pandemic and with the closure of the courts.

32 The Legal Aid in Canada 2021–22 report shows that duty counsel services have begun to recover, with an increase of 25% since 2020–21.

33 Results for 2022–23 will be published in the annual report on Legal Aid in Canada 2022–23, to be released in 2024.

34 Referenced from the Legal Aid in Canada 2020-21 report. There has been a decline in the number of criminal legal aid applications received and thus approvals declined as well. In 2020–21, both the number of applications received and approved declined by 18% from the previous year. This is attributable to COVID-19 disruptions to the justice system such as the closure of courts. The decrease in criminal legal aid applications is also partly linked to broad changes in provincial policies and legal aid service delivery. It does not indicate a reduction in legal aid services.

35 There has been a decline in the number of criminal legal aid applications received and a corresponding decline in approvals, as seen in the Legal Aid in Canada 2021–22 report. In 2021–22, both the number of applications received and those approved were reduced by 18% and 19% respectively, compared to 2017–18. This is attributable to the disruptions the COVID-19 pandemic caused to the justice system such as the closure of courts. The decrease in criminal legal aid applications is also partly linked to broad changes in provincial policies and legal aid service delivery. It does not indicate a reduction in legal aid services.

36 See footnote 33.

The financial, human resources and performance information for Justice Canada’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

Justice Canada will continue to develop and coordinate all federal justice legislative reforms, policy options and initiatives, and test innovative approaches to strengthening the legal framework in various domains.

Departmental Result: 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.

Indigenous justice, laws and policies

Justice Canada will continue to contribute to a renewed relationship with First Nations, Inuit and Métis, including through ongoing cooperation with Indigenous peoples and their representative organizations and collaboration with federal, provincial and territorial government partners. This work will advance implementation of the Justice-specific Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice, as well as the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan.

In addition to providing overall leadership on implementation of the UN Declaration Act, Justice Canada will lead on 15 measures in the UN Declaration Act Action Plan, including measures to help ensure consistency of federal laws with the UN Declaration. Justice Canada will also support ongoing participation by First Nations, Inuit and Métis in the implementation process through the Indigenous Partnership Fund. Funding will support Indigenous peoples’ continued participation in the various implementation, monitoring and oversight processes described in the Action Plan.

To address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice system, Justice Canada will continue to develop an Indigenous Justice Strategy, in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples and in collaboration with provinces and territories, including through the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Aboriginal Justice Working Group.

Justice Canada will also continue to advance innovative approaches to Indigenous justice systems, including through the development of administration of justice agreements with Indigenous partners, provinces and territories, as well as through broader collaborative work at a range of tables and discussion forums. Justice Canada will learn from a pilot program intended to support First Nations seeking to prosecute their laws. This pilot, funded by Justice Canada in cooperation with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, is expected to conclude in 2024, after which it will provide important data to help inform the negotiation of practical arrangements to facilitate the enforcement of First Nations laws.

The Department will continue to support the work of the Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites Associated with Indian Residential Schools, Kimberly Murray. She will provide a final report in June 2024, which will include recommendations on a federal legal framework to ensure the protection and respectful and culturally appropriate treatment of unmarked graves and burial sites of children associated with former Indian Residential Schools. This final report will be delivered concurrently to the Minister of Justice and to First Nations, Inuit and Métis Survivors, families, leaders and communities, and to the public. It is anticipated that Justice Canada will then work in coordination with other relevant departments to act upon the recommendations, including with a view to aligning federal laws with the UN Declaration.

Criminal justice system reforms

Justice Canada will advance criminal law reform and strengthen the criminal justice system response to offending to make the justice system fairer and more accessible, to ensure public safety, and to protect the vulnerable. For example, the Department will do the following.

Support the Government’s commitment to address harms, especially online harms. This includes creating a new offence for crimes motivated by hate, amending the Criminal Code to combat online hate propaganda, and amending An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service to combat sexual exploitation and abuse of children online.
Address intimate partner violence, including by considering a new coercive-control offence, amending the criminal harassment provision in the Criminal Code, and considering relevant amendments to the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights.
Develop and release an implementation plan in response to the Final Strategy Report from the external Steering Group for Canada’s Black Justice Strategy, outlining concrete actions that the Government of Canada will take to address anti-Black racism and the systemic discrimination that has led to the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system, including as victims of crime.
Support the Government of Canada’s priority to address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous and Black youth in the criminal justice system through improved implementation of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, including ongoing training to officials in the youth criminal justice system.
Support the Government’s commitments to strengthen the capacity of Canadian police and prosecutors to bring cybercriminals to justice, including actively engaging with the international community to develop tools to strengthen international cooperation that will enhance the capacity of all states to prevent, investigate and prosecute cybercrime.
Support the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada in interventions in, and reactions to, significant litigation in criminal justice, including those related to sentencing and impaired driving.
Support the Government in finding solutions to the growing challenge of auto theft in Canada.

International cooperation on criminal justice

Justice Canada will continue to support Canada’s criminal justice priorities internationally, ensuring that Canadian values and approaches are considered in the development of international norms and standards on crime prevention and criminal justice, as well as on genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. In addition to supporting Canada’s engagement with organizations such as the United Nations, the G7, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the Organization of American States, Justice Canada will:

support the implementation of the Equal Access to Justice for All resolution that was sponsored by Canada and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 19, 2023; and
promote access to justice and enhance law enforcement cooperation with the United States, including by supporting the Minister of Justice’s participation at the annual Canada-US Cross-Border Crime Forum.

Justice system initiatives

Justice Canada will continue to support a variety of ongoing initiatives that inform policy and program activities, including the following:

Co-leading, with Global Affairs Canada, the negotiation of a new international law treaty in the Council of Europe on artificial intelligence for the protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Continuing to help enforce family law orders through the garnishment of federal monies and denial of federal licenses under the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act (FOAEAA), prioritizing the operationalization and implementation of FOAEAA legislative and regulatory amendments to help families.
Improving the collection and use of disaggregated data through the Justice Data Modernization Initiative (JDMI), as part of ongoing efforts to address the overrepresentation of Indigenous people and racialized communities, including Black people, in the criminal justice system. Milestones include the publication of research as JDMI projects are completed, and the provision of leadership on a collaborative project with Statistics Canada, who will complete a criminal justice simulation prototype that estimates the impact of social and justice sector interventions on criminal justice system involvement, overrepresentation and cost.

Departmental Result: The criminal justice system supports alternative ways of responding to the causes and consequences of offending.

Specialized programs and services

Justice Canada will continue to provide funding support to provinces, territories and non-governmental organizations for the delivery of services and programs in areas related to the Canadian justice system. Along with the Youth Justice Services Funding Program, Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision Program, and Youth Justice Fund, such funding mechanisms include the following:

The Drug Treatment Court Funding Program, which will continue to address crime committed in relation to substance use disorders by promoting and strengthening the use of alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders who meet specified criteria.
The Indigenous Justice Program, which will continue to provide funding for Indigenous community-based justice programs that offer culturally relevant restorative justice alternatives in appropriate circumstances. The Department will also continue to support the implementation of Gladue Principles in the criminal justice system with provincial and territorial partners, particularly post-sentence Gladue aftercare community programming, and civil and family mediation programming.

Departmental Result: Canadians in contact with the justice system have access to appropriate services enabling a fair, timely and accessible justice system.

Victims of crime

To help implement the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, the Department will continue to support projects through the Victims Fund and the Justice Partnership and Innovation Program that improve access to justice for victims and survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence who are involved in the family justice system. These include projects that provide access to independent legal advice and representation.

Justice Canada will also continue to advance the Federal Victims Strategy to increase access to justice for victims and survivors of crime and give them an effective voice in the criminal justice system. The Department will focus on implementing the victims-focused priorities in federal strategies and national action plans, including the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan. Specifically in support of this National Action Plan, the Department will launch a new, sustainable initiative in 2024–25 for Indigenous victims and survivors of crime. It will also continue to support specialized services for families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls through the Family Information Liaison Unit Program and the Community Support and Healing for Families Initiative.

Official languages

Through various funding mechanisms, Justice Canada will continue to support programs and services related to official languages, including those that are part of the Government of Canada’s new Official Languages Action Plan 2023–2028. These particular funds foster the recognition and use of both English and French in the Canadian justice system and enhance the vitality of official language minority communities. For example, the Department will continue to:

Support the implementation of the language rights provision included in the recent amendments to the Divorce Act by providing funding to provinces and territories through the Canadian Family Justice Fund (CFJF) and the Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund. The language rights provision is intended to ensure that Canadians in every part of the country can obtain a divorce in the official language of their choice.
Support the use of official languages in the justice system and support official languages minority communities by funding both new and existing activities through the Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund. These activities include the provision of legal information to the public, specialized training for legal professionals, core funding to non-governmental organizations, and socio-legal support.
Provide funding to support provinces and territories through the Contraventions Act Fund to undertake measures on Canada’s behalf that ensure that language rights are respected in relation to the issuing and processing of contraventions tickets.

Other programs and services

Justice Canada will continue to support activities that respond to changing conditions affecting Canadian justice policy through various funding mechanisms, including.

The Indigenous Courtwork Program, which will continue to provide funding for Indigenous courtwork services to support Indigenous people in contact with the justice system to obtain fair, just, equitable and culturally relevant treatment. The Indigenous Courtwork Program will also continue to work with Indigenous, provincial and territorial partners to support the writing of Gladue reports.
Access to Justice Services Agreements, which support the delivery of legal aid, Indigenous courtwork services, and public legal education and information programs in the territories.
The Legal Aid Program, which provides funding to provincial/territorial governments and legal aid service providers for their provision of criminal legal aid, and immigration and refugee legal aid services to economically disadvantaged persons.
Funding to implement Impact of Race and Culture Assessments (IRCAs) across Canada, which includes training for IRCA writers; education of criminal defence lawyers, Crown prosecutors and judges on IRCAs; and the preparation of IRCA reports for eligible clients.
The Justice Partnership and Innovation Program (JPIP), which supports projects intended to improve access to culturally appropriate and accessible legal information and advice for racialized and Indigenous communities across Canada, increasing their understanding of the law and their rights and how to exercise those rights in legal matters so they can make informed decisions. JPIP will also continue to support pilot Community Justice Centre (CJC) projects in British Columbia, Ontario, and Manitoba. CJCs are an innovative approach for bringing together justice, health, and social services to address the root causes of crime and improve community well-being.
The CFJF, which supports activities and services to improve access to justice for Canadian families experiencing separation and divorce and for underserved populations, as well as activities to implement recent amendments to the Divorce Act. The CFJF will also continue to support provincial and territorial efforts to expand the availability of government-funded supervision services to allow the exercise of parenting time in cases of separation and divorce, particularly in cases where there is concern about the safety of a child or another family member due to family violence.

The Office of the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime (OFOVC), which operates at arm’s length from the federal government, will continue to provide direct information, referrals and complaint-review services to victims of crime and their family members or representatives, as well as victim-serving agencies, and other stakeholders. In addition to its direct work with victims, the OFOVC will work to ensure that policy makers and other criminal justice personnel are aware of victims' needs and able to identify important issues and trends that may negatively affect victims.

Key risks

The broad and diverse scope of justice issues and the multi-tiered nature of Canada’s justice system require the involvement and collaboration of many partners and stakeholders. Actively maintaining productive relationships with these partners and stakeholders is important to ensure that Justice Canada can meet priorities and expected results. To mitigate risk to these essential relationships, the Department will continue to take a people-centred approach to consultation, cooperation and engagement. These efforts must be accessible, inclusive and meaningful, along with ensuring they are trauma-informed, anti-oppressive and respectful. This people-centred and evidence-based approach will enable Justice Canada to contribute to more effective decision making that will respond to today’s challenges with increasingly forward-looking and innovative laws, policies, and programs.

For instance, work on Indigenous-related matters such as the Indigenous Justice Strategy, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, and the ongoing implementation of the UN Declaration Act and the associated Action Plan relies heavily on maintaining productive relationships with external partners, such as Indigenous peoples. Without sufficiently broad and diverse participation in these initiatives, it may be difficult to achieve these priorities.

To help ensure successful outcomes for the Government’s reconciliation agenda, the Department will continue to seek opportunities to regularly engage with national and regional Indigenous organizations, treaty nations, Indigenous governments and representative organizations, including groups representing Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, as well as federal, provincial, territorial and industry partners and other stakeholders. This will include advancing work through alternative virtual means, as well as using coordinated approaches and leveraging existing forums to maximize engagement opportunities and mitigate “engagement fatigue.”

In addition to maintaining productive relationships with partners and stakeholders, the Department is also managing internally focused areas of strategic risk related to cybersecurity, employee wellness, data and information, and the workplace of the future. These risk areas, which could impact the Department’s capacity for supporting the justice system, are being addressed through priorities and strategies outlined in the Internal Services section of this Plan.

Snapshot of planned resources in 2024–25

Planned spending: $602,493,696
Planned full-time resources: 394

Related government priorities

Gender-based Analysis Plus

Justice Canada will continue to apply intersectional GBA Plus considerations to all areas of work in alignment with the Justice Canada Policy on GBA Plus to ensure inclusive outcomes, including in:

discussions with Indigenous communities at administration-of-justice tables, which provide a unique opportunity to help reduce victimization of Indigenous women, youth, and 2SLGBTQI+ persons by helping develop a community-led and community-focused justice agreement;
the implementation of UN Declaration Act Action Plan measures, which reflect priorities and proposals identified by First Nations, Inuit and Métis, as well as the development of the 2024 annual progress report; and
the co-development of the Indigenous Justice Strategy, by ensuring a diverse representation of Indigenous voices and perspectives, including those of women, two-spirit and gender-diverse individuals, Elders and youth.

For more information and examples, see the 2024–25 Departmental Plan GBA Plus Supplementary Information Table on the Justice Canada website.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Justice Canada will advance SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions by supporting the following:

International initiatives aimed at strengthening the rule of law, reinforcing democratic values, and enhancing access to justice. Justice Canada will also continue to collaborate with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Access to Justice to support knowledge sharing on research, interagency coordination, efforts to address systemic racism and discrimination, and other topics of mutual interest.
Participation in multilateral forums seeking to improve international law enforcement and prosecution cooperation in relation to serious transnational crimes.
Participation in multilateral negotiations aimed at improving the international legal framework for law enforcement and prosecution cooperation to fight these crimes.
The Government’s commitment to address harms, especially online, through legislative reforms that are intended to protect victims of hate and online sexual exploitation and provide the criminal justice system with tools to hold offenders accountable.
The implementation of Canada’s Open Justice Commitment, through the sharing of data, research and promising practices, as well as initiatives to advance legal literacy, and ongoing partnerships and collaboration.

Through consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples and collaboration with provinces and territories, Justice Canada will advance SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions by ensuring responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making and promoting non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development, including by:

implementing measures in the UN Declaration Act Action Plan, as well as measures to ensure consistency of federal laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
developing the Indigenous Justice Strategy; and
participating in discussions on administration-of-justice arrangements with Indigenous partners.

For more information and examples, see the 2023 to 2027 Justice Sustainable Development Strategy on the Justice Canada website.

Program inventory

The Justice System Support core responsibility is supported by the following programs in the program inventory:

Legal Policies, Laws and Governance
Legal Representation
Contraventions Regime
Drug Treatment Court Funding Program
Victims of Crime
Youth Justice
Family Justice
Indigenous Justice
Justice System Partnerships
Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to Justice Canada’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Internal services

In this section

Description

Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:

management and oversight services
communications services
legal services
human resources management services
financial management services
information management services
information technology services
real property management services
materiel management services
acquisition management services

Plans to achieve results

Justice Canada will undertake the following key initiatives to support the core responsibilities of the Department and promote public service excellence.

Supporting employees

Justice Canada’s internal 2021–2024 Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Results Framework and Employment Equity Plan 2022–2025 propose actions to raise awareness of anti-racism, equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation and to ensure a work environment where equity groups feel a sense of belonging within the organization’s culture. For example, the Department will.

work towards a representative workforce by implementing targeted recruitment for equity-seeking groups, providing mentorship and sponsorship opportunities to promote career development, and by using Statistics Canada’s advanced Demosim model to generate projections of Canada’s active labour force to inform decisions regarding recruitment;
assess and address results from a recently completed Employment Systems Review, which identified systemic barriers to employment opportunities; and
review departmental governance to ensure an employment equity lens is applied across the Department.

In addition, Justice Canada will implement several initiatives, outlined in the 2022–2025 Justice Accessibility Plan, which aim to eliminate barriers to accessibility for employees and people served by the Department. Key activities under the Accessibility Plan for 2024–25 include adopting the Government of Canada Workplace Accessibility Passport, and establishing an IT Accessibility Centre of Expertise.

The Department will launch its new Mental Health Action Plan, which will support employees’ mental health, well-being, and psychological safety through training, awareness campaigns, and the development of new resources. The Department will also further its workload management strategy to explore and develop solutions to counter workload pressures.

Through these varied initiatives aimed at supporting employees, Justice Canada will continue to promote a healthy work environment and foster the wellness of its people, an area of strategic risk management for the Department.

Human resources management

The Department will undertake a review of its internal Human Resources Management Strategy 2021–2024 to align it with current and future priorities from 2024 to 2027. The Department will continue to advance initiatives to support strategic recruitment and staffing, employee development, and retention of a diverse and inclusive workforce with the skills and competencies to meet its current and future business needs.

Compensation and Phoenix

The Department will continue to implement strategies to minimize employee compensation-related issues and address the backlog resulting from the pay system, by utilizing a new pay file reconciliation tool, and providing managers and employees with information on ways to prevent pay issues.

Digital and data capabilities

Justice Canada is committed to leveraging digital and data capabilities to support its mandate, better inform legal, policy and program decisions, and help manage data, information and cybersecurity strategic risks. To achieve this, the Department will continue to promote digital information sharing and technology to improve collaboration within the organization, across government, and with external partners, while following rigorous cybersecurity practices and focusing on user experience. With improved network infrastructure and access to new software and reliable digital platforms, Justice Canada will continue to ensure that employees are equipped with the necessary tools to support their work.

Justice Canada will also progress further on implementing its Data Strategy 2022–2025 to embed data-driven insight and intelligence in decision making and improve services to clients and all Canadians. Activities under the Data Strategy include:

continuing the Data Awareness Program to educate employees on how to harness the power of data and artificial intelligence in their work;
launching a Data Analytics Program to recruit, retain and develop specialized talent;
developing a Data and Information Governance Framework to ensure that data is used, shared, and managed securely and efficiently; and
enhancing Justice Canada’s artificial intelligence capabilities, including through pilots with automation and artificial intelligence to support litigation, legislative, policy and corporate work.

Justice Canada will continue to test high-impact innovations on a small-scale and measure outcomes in real-world settings. This includes the implementation of a newly developed artificial intelligence translation tool to alleviate the cost and turnaround time associated with internal and smaller-scale translation needs.

Inclusive and digital-by-design communications with Canadians and employees

Justice Canada will continue to provide accessible and inclusive communications in plain language. The Department will focus on informing Canadians about the priorities of the Government and the Minister’s priorities and meeting the public’s diverse information needs, while continuing to create user-centred online content.

Justice Canada will also continue to meet the information and engagement needs of its employees by updating the Department’s internal website so that it is more accessible, including for employees in legal services units.

Sustainable development

In support of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy 2022–26 and greening the government, the Department will continue to transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient operations. The 2023 to 2027 Justice Sustainable Development Strategy will further contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals of reducing inequalities and increasing access to justice and confidence in the criminal justice system.

Justice Canada will maintain environmentally responsible work practices by reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to departmental travel, limiting the amount of waste sent to landfills through efficient waste diversion, and reducing paper consumption and storage through digital practices. In addition, Justice Canada will continue to raise awareness of greening initiatives and host outreach and training activities.

Hybrid workplace management

Justice Canada will continue to draw on new tools and techniques that have been developed to adapt to a hybrid work model and that align with the implementation of the National Workplace Accommodations Strategy. These include the further expansion of a modern tool to book workspaces that will inform evidence-based decisions on future designs of the Department’s workspaces within a hybrid work model. Along with other strategies, this will support Justice Canada as it implements the workplace of the future, an area of strategic risk for the Department.

Snapshot of planned resources in 2024–25

Planned spending: $94,541,217
Planned full-time resources: 1,144

Related government priorities

Planning for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

The Department expects that it will achieve the minimum target of 5% of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses in the 2024–25 fiscal year. An annual plan was submitted to ISC, and it includes a detailed analysis of procurement plans to assist in future Indigenous procurement initiatives. The Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business (PSIB) can be leveraged in all procurement activities to facilitate the awarding of contracts to Indigenous businesses. When the criteria are met, the PSIB allows for mandatory or voluntary set-asides of contracts to Indigenous businesses. This contributes to reaching the annual 5% target.

To achieve the planned targets, the Department will take a multi-faceted approach, including increasing Indigenous procurement awareness among stakeholders involved in procurement processes, as well as conducting outreach activities with Indigenous suppliers’ communities through Request for Information processes and participating in reverse tradeshows in collaboration with other departments such as PSPC and ISC. Justice Canada will also conduct quarterly Indigenous procurement monitoring and reporting activities to ensure that the Department is on track to meet the planned targets.

Table 5: Actual and planned results for “Total percentage of contracts with Indigenous businesses”

5% reporting field	2022–23 actual result	2023–24 forecast result	2024–25 planned result
Total percentage of contracts with Indigenous businesses	13%	5%	5%

Planned spending and human resources

This section provides an overview of Justice Canada’s planned spending and human resources for the next three fiscal years and compares planned spending for 2024–25 with actual spending from previous years.

In this section

Spending

Table 6: Actual spending summary for core responsibilities and internal services ($ dollars)

The following table shows information on spending for each of Justice Canada’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Amounts for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on spending as of October 31, 2023.

Core responsibilities and internal services	2021–22 actual expenditures	2022–23 actual expenditures	2023–24 forecast spending
Legal Services	222,168,257	204,647,663	224,258,777
Justice System Support	582,469,495	662,843,664	759,377,535
Subtotal	804,637,752	867,491,327	983,636,312
Internal services	102,779,851	115,831,245	128,161,611
Total	907,417,603	983,322,572	1,111,797,923

Explanation of table 6

In the table above, expenditures show an increasing trend from 2021–22 ($907.4 million) to 2023–24 ($1,111.8 million). This trend is mainly explained by increases in salary expenditures and an associated increase in employee benefit plan spending (statutory) resulting from salary increases for various collective agreements and an increase in the workforce. This increase in the workforce is required to support increased client demand for legal services and to support policy functions. Additionally, there is an increase in grants and contributions spending related to initiatives announced in Budgets 2021, 2022 and 2023 as well as the Fall Economic Statement 2023 under the Justice System Support core responsibility. These increases are mainly in the following programs:

Criminal Legal Aid Program
Immigration and Refugee Legal Aid Program
Justice Partnership and Innovation Program
Indigenous Justice Program
Indigenous Partnership Fund
Victims Fund
Canadian Family Justice Fund

Table 7: Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

The following table shows information on spending for each of Justice Canada’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the upcoming three fiscal years.


Core responsibilities and internal services	2024–25 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates)	2024–25 planned spending^*	2025–26 planned spending^*	2026–27 planned spending^*
Legal Services	230,876,958	230,876,958	220,933,846	219,520,417
Justice System Support	602,493,696	602,493,696	583,922,997	543,140,193
Subtotal	833,370,654	833,370,654	804,856,843	762,660,610
Internal services	94,541,217	94,541,217	94,056,937	92,975,627
Total	927,911,871	927,911,871	898,913,780	855,636,237

* Financial resources for planned spending are based on Main Estimates and are net of respendable revenues. These exclude any funding to be received through Budget 2024 and funds received from Treasury Board Central Votes (such as the Operating Budget Carry Forward).

Explanation of table 7

The decreasing trend in the Justice System Support core responsibility planned spending for future years is mainly explained by the sunsetting of temporary grants and contributions funding for the following programs:

Justice Partnership and Innovation Program
Victims Fund
Canadian Family Justice Fund
Indigenous Partnership Fund

Table 8: 2024–25 budgetary gross and net planned spending summary (dollars)

The following table reconciles gross planned spending with net planned spending for 2024–25.

Core responsibilities and internal services	2024–25 gross planned spending (dollars)	2024–25 planned revenues netted against spending (dollars)	2024–25 planned net spending (dollars)
Legal Services	613,158,958	382,282,000	230,876,958
Justice System Support	602,493,696	0	602,493,696
Subtotal	1,215,652,654	382,282,000	833,370,654
Internal services	154,259,217	59,718,000	94,541,217
Total	1,369,911,871	442,000,000	927,911,871

Explanation of table 8

The table above reflects the Department’s planned gross spending for 2024–25, which includes the VNR authority of $442.0 million. 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 changes to 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.

**Figure 2: Departmental Vote-Netted Revenue Trend Graph (millions of dollars)**

Funding

**Figure 3: Departmental spending 2021–22 to 2026–27**

Estimates by vote

Information on Justice Canada’s organizational appropriations is available in the 2024–25 Main Estimates.

Future-oriented condensed statement of operations

The future-oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of Justice Canada’s operations for 2023–24 to 2024–25.

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’s website.

Table 9: Future-oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ending March 31, 2025 (thousands of dollars)

Financial information	2023–24 forecast results	2024–25 planned results	Difference (2024–25 planned results minus 2023–24 forecast results)
Total expenses	1,683,252	1,464,002	(219,250)
Total revenues	473,617	442,000	(31,617)
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers	1,209,635	1,022,002	(187,633)

Explanation of table 9

Total expenses are forecasted to decrease by $219.3 million, from $1,683.3 million in 2023–24 to $1,464.0 million in 2024–25. This variance is mainly explained by the following:

A net decrease in grants and contributions expenses related primarily to the following programs:
- Immigration and Refugee Legal Aid (sunset of one-time funding from Budget 2023 and 2023 Fall Economic Statement); and
- Criminal Legal Aid (sunset of funding from Budget 2022)
A decrease in operating expenditures, primarily explained by funding received in 2023–24 from Treasury Board Central Votes being included in the 2023–24 forecast but excluded from 2024–25 planned spending.

The variance in revenues shows a decrease of $31.6 million, from $473.6 million in 2023–24 to $442.0 million in 2024–25, which represents the difference between the legal services revenue forecast for 2023–24 and the approved VNR authority for 2024–25.

Although demand for legal services is expected to remain high, only the amounts approved in the Main Estimates are presented for future years for consistency purposes.

Human resources

Table 10: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services

The following table shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for Justice Canada’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted as of October 31, 2023.

Core responsibilities and internal services	2021–22 actual FTEs	2022–23 actual FTEs	2023–24 forecasted FTEs
Legal Services	3,477	3,676	3,918
Justice System Support	332	366	394
Subtotal	3,809	4,042	4,312
Internal services	1,091	1,116	1,144
Total	4,900	5,158	5,456

Explanation of table 10

Overall, there is an increasing trend in FTEs over the three-year period from 2021–22 (4,900 FTEs) to 2023–24 (5,456 FTEs). The Legal Services core responsibility shows an increase of 441 FTEs; this is largely explained by an increase in the workforce to meet the increased demand for legal services.

The Justice System Support core responsibility shows an increase of 62 FTEs; this is mainly explained by an increase in the workforce to support the delivery of new initiatives for which new funding was approved in previous budgets.

Internal Services shows an increase of 53 FTEs; this is mainly explained by an increase in 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 previous budgets, as well as other projects and initiatives such as the 2021–2024 Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Results Framework, the 2022–25 Employment Equity Plan and the 2022–2025 Justice Accessibility Plan.

Table 11: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services

The following table shows information on human resources, in FTEs, for each of Justice Canada’s core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for 2024–25 and future years.

Core responsibilities and internal services	2024–25 planned FTEs	2025–26 planned FTEs	2026–27 planned FTEs
Legal Services	3,918	3,918	3,918
Justice System Support	394	394	394
Subtotal	4,312	4,312	4,312
Internal services	1,144	1,144	1,144
Total	5,456	5,456	5,456

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate Minister:

The Honorable Arif Virani, P.C., M.P.

Institutional head:

Shalene Curtis-Micallef

Ministerial portfolio:

Justice

Enabling instrument:

Department of Justice Act.

Year of incorporation / commencement:

1868

Organizational contact information

Mailing address:

Department of Justice Canada

284 Wellington Street

Ottawa, Ontario

Canada K1A 0H8

Telephone:

613-957-4222

TTY:

613-992-4556

Email:

webadmin@justice.gc.ca

Website:

www.justice.gc.ca

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on Justice Canada’s website.

Details on Transfer Payment Programs
Gender-based Analysis Plus

Information on Justice Canada’s Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy can be found on Justice Canada’s website.

Federal tax expenditures

The Department of Justice Canada’s Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures.

Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government-wide tax expenditures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures.

This report provides detailed information on tax expenditures, including objectives, historical background and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and gender-based analysis plus.

Definitions

List of terms

appropriation (crédit): Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires): Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.
core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle): An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.
departmental plan (plan ministériel): A document that sets out a department’s priorities, programs, expected results and associated resource requirements, covering a three‑year period beginning with the year indicated in the title of the report. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.
departmental result (résultat ministériel): A change that a department seeks to influence. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.
departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel): A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a departmental result.
departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats): A framework that consists of the department’s core responsibilities, departmental results and departmental result indicators.
departmental results report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels): A report on a department’s actual performance in a fiscal year against its plans, priorities and expected results set out in its Departmental Plan for that year. Departmental Results Reports are usually tabled in Parliament each fall.
full‑time equivalent (équivalent temps plein): A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person‑year charge against a departmental budget. Full‑time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.
gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus]): An analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography, language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales): For the purpose of the 2024–25 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2021 Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fighter harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just, and equitable world.
horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale): An initiative in which two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
Indigenous business (entreprises autochtones): As defined on the Indigenous Services Canada website, in accordance with the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses annually.
non‑budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires): Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.
performance (rendement): What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.
plan (plan): The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.
planned spending (dépenses prévues): For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in the Main Estimates.; A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.
program (programme): Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within a department and that focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
program inventory (répertoire des programmes): An inventory of a department’s programs that describes how resources are organized to carry out the department’s core responsibilities and achieve its planned results.
result (résultat): An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead, they are within the area of the organization’s influence.
statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives): Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.
target (cible): A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.
voted expenditures (dépenses votées): Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an appropriation act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.

Date modified:: 2024-02-29

2024–25 Departmental Plan

On this page

From the Minister

Plans to deliver on core responsibilities and internal services

Core responsibilities and internal services:

Legal Services

Description

Quality of life impacts

Results and targets

Table 1: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Departments and agencies receive high quality legal services”

Plans to achieve results

Departmental Result: Departments and agencies receive high-quality legal services.

Assisting Canadians in need

Protecting Canadians

Sustainability and environmental priorities

Indigenous rights and relations

Regulatory and legislative reform

Other legal services and support

Litigation strategies and positions

Key risks

Related government priorities

Program inventory

Justice System Support

Description

Quality of life impacts

Results and targets

Table 2: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “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”

Table 3: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “The criminal justice system supports alternative ways of responding to the causes and consequences of offending”

Table 4: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Canadians in contact with the justice system have access to appropriate services enabling a fair, timely and accessible justice system”

Plans to achieve results

Departmental Result: 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.

Departmental Result: The criminal justice system supports alternative ways of responding to the causes and consequences of offending.

Departmental Result: Canadians in contact with the justice system have access to appropriate services enabling a fair, timely and accessible justice system.

Key risks

Related government priorities

Program inventory

Internal services

Description

Plans to achieve results

Related government priorities

Planning for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

Table 5: Actual and planned results for “Total percentage of contracts with Indigenous businesses”

Planned spending and human resources

Spending

Table 6: Actual spending summary for core responsibilities and internal services ($ dollars)

Table 7: Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

Table 8: 2024–25 budgetary gross and net planned spending summary (dollars)

Funding

Variance between 2023–24 Forecast Spending and 2024–25 Planned Spending

Variance from 2024–25 Planned Spending to 2026–27 Planned Spending

Estimates by vote

Future-oriented condensed statement of operations

Table 9: Future-oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ending March 31, 2025 (thousands of dollars)

Human resources

Table 10: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services

Table 11: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services

Corporate information

Appropriate Minister:

Institutional head:

Ministerial portfolio:

Enabling instrument:

Year of incorporation / commencement:

Mailing address:

Telephone:

TTY:

Email:

Website:

Supplementary information tables

Federal tax expenditures

Definitions