Gender-based Analysis Plus

Table of contents

Institutional GBA Plus capacity

Governance

The Department of Justice supports the Government of Canada’s commitments to Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) to help ensure that federal initiatives are responsive, inclusive and reflective of diverse experiences and realities in order to address inequities and barriers faced by different groups. The following key actions will be taken in 2024–25 to advance the implementation of an intersectional GBA Plus approach, with a particular focus on addressing systemic inequities and barriers and advancing the components of the GBA Plus Framework.

In 2024–25, governance committees will continue to be engaged in strategic discussions about advancing GBA Plus-related priorities, ensuring that intersectional considerations are integrated into strategic decision making across the Department. Furthermore, the Department will continue to align its work with the key principles defined in the updated Policy on Gender-Based Analysis Plus: Applying an Intersectional Approach to Foster Inclusion and Address Inequities (the Policy). The Policy promotes and supports improved integration of intersectional GBA Plus considerations by requiring that Justice employees take GBA Plus training and apply a systematic and evidence-based GBA Plus approach in their work. Accountabilities and responsibilities of all Justice officials are outlined in the Policy.

The GBA Plus Unit (the Unit), the Department’s centre of expertise for GBA Plus, provides ongoing advice and guidance on incorporating intersectional GBA Plus considerations into departmental initiatives, including in Memoranda to Cabinet, Treasury Board Submissions and Budget Proposals, among others. The Unit also supports the Department’s GBA Plus Champion in their work to actively encourage employees’ participation in capacity-building activities and promote new ways of improving GBA Plus in key areas of work. The Unit leads this work with support from a departmental GBA Plus Action Team comprised of members representing different sectors, who provide advice and guidance on how to further integrate GBA Plus at Justice Canada.

The Department, supported by the Unit, will continue to contribute to advancing the priorities outlined in the Gender Results Framework (GRF) through initiatives that advance the goals related to eliminating gender-based violence and promoting access to justice, among others. For example, in 2024–25, the Unit will work in collaboration with program leads at Justice to develop GBA Plus guidelines to support funding recipients in their efforts to apply an intersectional GBA Plus lens to the design and delivery of their programs and services. This will help strengthen GBA Plus data collection and identify meaningful GBA Plus indicators to improve reporting on programs’ results and impacts on diverse groups, including racialized and Indigenous communities. Additional examples of initiatives to advance GRF priorities are included in the results reporting section below.

Capacity

The Department will continue to build and strengthen its GBA Plus capacity by developing resources and training, which raise awareness about GBA Plus, provide support and promote best practices. In 2024–25, capacity-building efforts will be focused on the development of training tailored to the specific needs of Justice Canada employees. The first training module will focus on the integration of intersectional GBA Plus considerations in legal services and will include best practices and case studies. Further, the Unit will continue to organize engagement sessions with legal professionals across the Department to promote the implementation of the GBA Plus (Guide) for Canada’s Legal Team (Guide), which outlines key GBA Plus considerations related to advisory, legislative and litigation services provided to client departments and agencies. Through the sessions, the Unit will also receive valuable feedback and suggestions about how to improve the Guide and address any gaps.

The Department will continue to encourage the collection and use of disaggregated data to inform the further development of its programs and initiatives, making them more responsive to the specific needs of recipients. To strengthen the application of an intersectional GBA Plus approach to performance monitoring and reporting, the Unit will continue to support program officials in identifying meaningful indicators to measure the gender and diversity impacts of Justice-led initiatives. For example, the Unit will support initiative leads by contributing to the development of Performance Information Profiles, corporate reporting, the development of disaggregated data plans and by strengthening the integration of GBA Plus considerations in various departmental results measurement tools, such as the Client Feedback Survey (CFS).

Justice Canada will also continue to monitor and report on the advancement of GBA Plus through the Impact Assessment processFootnote 1, which evaluates the integration of intersectional GBA Plus considerations in Department-led initiatives. The Unit measures progress by assessing two indicators regarding the timeliness and meaningful influence of GBA Plus on Justice-led initiatives. Furthermore, the Impact Assessment process supports ongoing identification of organizational needs and informs the work of the Unit, including the creation of GBA Plus work plans and the establishment of new strategic priorities.

Highlights of GBA Plus results reporting by program

Advisory Services

The Department of Justice Canada provides legal advisory services to federal government departments and agencies and contributes to the advancement of the overall outcomes included in the Departmental Results Framework.

While partner departments and agencies leading the development and implementation of a specific initiative collect pertinent gender and diversity data, the quality of the advisory services provided is measured through the Department of Justice Canada Legal Services CFS. The purpose of the CFS is to collect feedback from client organizations that have received legal services from the Department with a view to assessing client satisfaction and identifying strengths and potential areas for improvement.

In 2024–25, the first full set of data will be available on a new indicator measuring client satisfaction with the integration of GBA Plus and equity, diversity and inclusion considerations into legal advisory services. The Department will analyse the results and take measures, as relevant, to improve the program’s GBA Plus impact and address any barriers.

Legal professionals will continue to provide high-quality bilingual and bijural legal advisory services to federal government officials supported by the GBA Plus (Guide) for Canada’s Legal Team, which helps strengthen the integration of an intersectional GBA Plus lens into legal work, as relevant. The program will also continue to provide accessible legal learning opportunities for legal professionals to improve their knowledge related to new developments, modifications, and trends in the legal field.

The program will continue to provide timely and responsive advisory services to support the advancement of multiple government priorities, including initiatives that promote GBA Plus priorities. For example, the Department will provide legal services to support Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to advance various initiatives aiming to increase the diversity of suppliers, reduce barriers and enhance economic and social opportunities for underrepresented groups, including Indigenous people, Black and racialized persons, women and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. Based on the Policy on Social Procurement, PSPC collects data on the diversity of federal government suppliers disaggregated by race, gender, and other intersectional factors.

Furthermore, legal professionals will continue to provide legal support to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada with respect to Bill C-27, the Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022, which seeks to modernize the framework for the protection of personal information in the private sector and to create new rules for the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence. The initiative will reinforce the ethical and safe use of data by establishing stronger protections for Canadians while they benefit from the use of the latest technologies to work, innovate and participate in the digital economy. Bill C-27 is one of several ongoing initiatives of the Government that seek to implement the principles of Canada’s Digital Charter. Some of these initiatives will aim to ensure that digital platforms will not foster or disseminate hate, violent extremism or criminal content. Legal professionals will continue to support Canadian Heritage with the development and introduction 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.

The Department will also provide legal advice to Indigenous Services Canada in support of its efforts to reduce the number of Indigenous children in care and improve child and family services, including through the implementation of the Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families. The Act was co-developed with Indigenous peoples and provides an opportunity for Indigenous peoples to choose their own solutions for their children and families.

Legislative Services

The Department of Justice Canada provides legislative and regulatory drafting services to federal government departments and agencies and contributes to the advancement of the overall outcomes included in the Departmental Results Framework.

While partner departments and agencies leading the development and implementation of a specific initiative collect pertinent gender and diversity data, the quality of the legislative services provided is measured through the Department of Justice Canada Legal Services CFS. The purpose of the CFS is to collect feedback from client organizations that have received legal services from the Department with a view to assessing client satisfaction and identifying strengths and potential areas for improvement.

In 2024–25, the first full set of data will be available on a new indicator measuring client satisfaction with the integration of GBA Plus and equity, diversity and inclusion considerations into legislative services. The Department will analyse the results and take measures, as relevant, to improve the program’s GBA Plus impact and address any barriers.

Legal professionals will continue to provide high-quality bilingual and bijural legislative services to the government, including the drafting of government bills, government motions to amend bills before Parliament and proposed regulations and other statutory instruments. Accessible legal learning opportunities will continue to be provided to legal professionals to ensure they have a sound understanding of new developments, modifications, and trends in their specialized legal field.

The program supports the implementation of GBA Plus across the public service by integrating GBA Plus considerations, as relevant, into legislative and regulatory services provided to client departments and agencies. This work will be further promoted and supported by the use of the GBA Plus (Guide) for Canada’s Legal Team, which is intended to help practitioners improve the integration of an intersectional GBA Plus lens into their advisory, legislative, and litigation work.

In 2024–25, the Legislative Service Branch’s Inclusive Legislative Drafting Committee will continue its work on inclusive legislative drafting that strives to eliminate discrimination based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability or any other identity factor. The role of the Committee includes examining issues and challenges related to inclusive drafting and suggesting solutions.

Litigation Services

The Department of Justice Canada provides litigation services to federal government departments and agencies and contributes to the advancement of the overall outcomes included in the Departmental Results Framework.

While partner departments and agencies leading the development and implementation of a specific initiative collect pertinent gender and diversity data, the quality of the litigation services provided is measured through the Department of Justice Canada Legal Services CFS. The purpose of the CFS is to collect feedback from client organizations that have received legal services from the Department with a view to assessing client satisfaction and identifying strengths and potential areas for improvement.

In 2024–25, the first full set of data will be available for a new indicator measuring client satisfaction with the integration of GBA Plus and equity, diversity and inclusion considerations into litigation services. The Department will analyse the results and take measures, as relevant, to improve the program’s GBA Plus impact and address any barriers.

Under the Litigation Services program, legal professionals will continue to provide high-quality bilingual and bijural litigation services to the federal government. Litigation services assist the Government in achieving its objectives in accordance with the law and in ensuring that it meets its obligations under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter), and other constitutional and international obligations. The Department will continue to provide learning activities that address specific litigation needs and adhere to accessibility requirements.

The program supports the advancement of GBA Plus priorities across the public service by integrating intersectional GBA Plus considerations, as relevant, into litigation services provided to client departments and agencies. These efforts will be supported by the GBA Plus Guide for Canada’s Legal Team, which provides advice and best practices about how to better integrate an intersectional GBA Plus lens into legal work.

The program will continue to support the advancement of multiple government priorities, including initiatives that promote GBA Plus priorities. For example, the Department will continue to advance approaches to litigation strategies, ensuring consistency with the Charter and the Principles guiding the Attorney General of Canada in Charter litigation. As well, the approaches used will be aligned with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, the Principles respecting the Government of Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples, and the Attorney General of Canada’s Directive on Civil Litigation Involving Indigenous Peoples.

The Department will also support improvements to the accessibility of court services, including the modernization of the courts by implementing procedures and technologies to enable remote hearings and the electronic transfer of documentation in a more environmentally conscious manner.

Legal Policies, Laws, and Governance

The Department of Justice Canada will continue to develop and coordinate all federal justice legislative reforms, policy options and initiatives to promote a fair, accessible and relevant justice system for the benefit of all Canadians. This includes the areas of judicial affairs, criminal justice, victims of crime, youth justice, family law, access to justice, official languages, bijuralism, Indigenous justice, human rights, privacy, access to information, security, terrorism as well as legislative and regulatory processes.

The development of high-quality legal policies and laws enables the delivery of programs and services that advance Government of Canada priorities and contribute to achieving increased access to justice and improved accountability and responsiveness of the justice system.

The program will continue to provide policy advice and support to ensure that the criminal justice system keeps communities safe, supports victims, and holds offenders to account, while respecting the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In 2024–25, the Department, in collaboration with lead federal departments and agencies, will continue to work with Indigenous partners to advance the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UN Declaration Act), including the UN Declaration Act Action Plan, released on June 21, 2023. The Action Plan provides a roadmap for the federal government and Indigenous peoples to work together to implement the UN Declaration at the federal level and to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in a tangible way. The Action Plan includes 181 specific measures to promote and protect the human rights of Indigenous peoples, address injustices, and tackle violence and discrimination.

The Department will continue to advance innovative approaches to support Indigenous justice systems, guided by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice. This includes ongoing negotiations on administration of justice agreements with Indigenous partners, as well as collaborative work with interested Indigenous organizations and communities, in addition to engagement with provinces and territories. The Department is committed to ensuring the participation and including the perspectives, experiences, and voices of diverse groups within Indigenous communities, specifically Elders, youth, women and 2SLGBTQI+ persons, throughout the various phases of the process.

As all Indigenous laws and legal systems have been affected by colonization in some way, each Nation’s laws are in a different state of revitalization, including in relation to GBA Plus. Taking into account that the respect for self-determination of Indigenous peoples includes respecting that each Indigenous community has, and will, develop unique responses to GBA Plus within their laws, the Department will nevertheless continue to raise GBA Plus considerations in discussions with Indigenous communities at administration of justice tables. For example, the Department will include a GBA Plus section as part of the negotiation table work plans to ensure that negotiations include discussions on the inclusion of intersectional GBA Plus considerations and views as well as  possible GBA Plus impacts of any agreements that the parties enter into. This could lead to the inclusion of provisions within agreements to prevent gender discrimination or to the adoption of protocols to ensure the safety of women, girls and gender diverse individuals in the community’s justice system. Given the early stage of negotiations on administration of justice agreements, the program is exploring different options for measuring and reporting on the GBA Plus impacts.

The Department will continue to develop, in consultation and cooperation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, an Indigenous Justice Strategy (IJS) to address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice system. This work is also being undertaken in close collaboration with provinces and territories. An intersectional GBA Plus approach is consistently applied at every stage of the engagement led by the Department to encourage a diverse representation of Indigenous voices and perspectives. Engagement on the IJS will continue to be broad and inclusive, with participation from organizations representing Indigenous women, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals and other underrepresented groups. Following the publication of a What We Learned Report on the first wave of Department-led engagement, a new report presenting the outcomes of the second wave will be completed in 2024–2025.

The Department will continue to lead the work on the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy, in consultation and cooperation with provinces and territories, and Black communities across Canada, including an external Steering Group of Black experts and leaders with diverse experiences and perspectives. In 2024–25, Justice Canada will develop an implementation plan outlining concrete actions to address anti-Black racism, systemic discrimination, as well as the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system, including as victims of crime, in response to the Final Strategy Report, expected to be published in 2024.

In 2024–25, the Department will implement the Justice Anti-Racism Policy, which was approved in June 2023. The Policy will ensure that policy, programs and legal Justice-led initiatives are responsive, inclusive and reflective of the experiences and realities of Indigenous peoples, Black and racialized communities. Furthermore, this policy aims to identify, address, and mitigate the effects of discrimination, inequities and barriers.

The Department will continue to help Canadians with family support through the implementation of former Bill C-78 amendments to Part I of the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act (FOAEAA) and related regulations.

Implementation of these amendments will help to reduce child poverty by providing financial information to authorized parties for efficient determination of child support and the enforcement of support orders and agreements. The payment of child support is a key factor in reducing the risk of child poverty, especially for low-income, lone-parent families, led mostly by women. The initiative benefits women, among others, as Canadian support enforcement data show that over 90% of child support recipients are women. As well, the Department will continue to show leadership in addressing family violence by continued work with stakeholders, including provinces and territories, to identify possible improvements to the family justice system for victims of intimate partner violence.

The Department will continue to support the Minister in working with relevant stakeholders, including the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs, by offering advice on policies or initiatives that align with the Government’s commitment to increase diversity on the federally-appointed bench, along with collecting relevant diversity data relating to appointees.

In 2024–25, the Department will continue to support the Government’s commitment to address harms, hate and hate propaganda, especially online, to further protect victims of hate and online sexual exploitation, particularly members of religious groups, ethnic or cultural minority groups and members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities. As well, it will advance criminal law reform to address intimate partner violence and strengthen the criminal justice system’s response to victims and survivors of crime. These reforms would benefit victims and survivors of gender-based violence and of crime in general, including those from diverse backgrounds and identities such as ethnic or cultural minority groups, Indigenous peoples and members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities.

Internationally, the Department has been championing Canada’s criminal justice priorities, including the need to employ gender perspectives in the development of domestic legislation, policy and programs and in the development of international norms and standards. For instance, it has been contributing to the development of a toolkit on mainstreaming gender and human rights in the implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, tabling and negotiating a resolution on Access to Justice before the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and negotiating for gender mainstreaming to be incorporated into a proposed new United Nations cybercrime related treaty.

In 2024–25, the Department will continue to advance Canada’s criminal justice priorities, including promoting GBA Plus and people-centred access to justice, on the international stage, including within the United Nations, the G7, the Commonwealth, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Canada – United States Cross-Border Crime Forum.

Through the Justice Data Modernization Initiative (JDMI), the Department is commissioning and conducting research that supports actions to address the overrepresentation of Indigenous, Black and racialized people in the criminal justice system. A life-course and intersectional approach to data analysis will ensure that research under the JDMI informs policy responses that are fair and inclusive. In 2024–25, a simulation prototype that estimates the potential impact of social and justice systems interventions on criminal justice system involvement will be completed in collaboration with Statistics Canada.

Legal Representation

This program includes Legal Aid (Criminal, and Immigration and Refugee), State-Funded Counsel, Impact of Race and Culture Assessments, Integrated Market Enforcement Teams Reserve Fund, and the Special Advocates Program.

Existing data shows that men and young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 are more likely to be involved in the criminal justice system. In addition, Indigenous peoples, individuals from Black and other racialized communities, and individuals suffering from mental health and addiction issues are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, with Indigenous women and youth being particularly overrepresented. Furthermore, recipients of immigration and refugee legal aid include newcomers from a wide range of ethno-cultural origins. Men and women are equally represented.

In 2024–25, Justice Canada will continue to collect data on legal aid service users disaggregated by relevant identity factors such as gender, age, geographic location, and others. Currently, most jurisdictions provide information on the gender and adult/youth breakdown among clients. In addition, some jurisdictions collect data on Indigenous identity.

The program will continue to make ongoing improvements to the annual reporting templates used by direct service providers to collect statistics about the Legal Aid Program. This will help improve the ability to measure and report on the GBA Plus impacts and outcomes of the program. Annual reports are shared with the public on the Department’s website.

The Department will continue to provide funding for the implementation of Impact of Race and Culture Assessments (IRCAs) across Canada. IRCAs are pre-sentencing reports that provide information on the impacts of discrimination on Black and other racialized offenders. This initiative supports one of the most vulnerable groups, i.e. economically-disadvantaged individuals who are also members of Black and other racialized groups. Service providers will continue collecting data on the number of Black and other racialized minorities that have benefited from an IRCA report.

Funding will be provided to specialized organizations for IRCA assessor training and mentorship, awareness programs, as well as for continuous professional development for lawyers, judges and other justice system actors. Additionally, funding will continue to be available to all provincial and territorial governments or their legal aid service providers, for the reimbursement of the preparation of IRCAs, with the goal of making this important tool a part of the criminal justice system across the country.

Drug Treatment Court Funding Program

The Drug Treatment Court Funding Program (DTCFP) offers eligible non-violent offenders with a substance use disorder the opportunity to complete a court monitored drug treatment program as an alternative to incarceration.

The programs offered by the federally funded drug treatment courts are available to all Canadians who meet the selection criteria. However, program data shows that they have a more significant beneficial impact for males between the ages of 20 and 49 with a serious dependence on opioids, who form the majority of participants. The general public and community members are expected to benefit indirectly as the program contributes to making communities healthier and safer, as a result of a reduction in crime committed in relation to a substance use disorder.

The DTCFP will continue to collect data to enable the program to assess its reach and impact on participants. The data collected is disaggregated by different identity factors, such as age, gender, and ethnicity. A new database, which is expected to be available in March 2024, will include standard demographic survey questions on gender, Indigenous identity, and ethno-cultural identity with a view to collecting data that will inform the further advancement of equity and evidence-based policy objectives.

As part of the application process, funding recipients are expected to apply a GBA Plus lens and funded projects are required to integrate an intersectional GBA Plus approach into the design and delivery of their programs and services. Further reporting on GBA Plus outcomes is also required as part of the application process.

The DTCFP will continue to work with provincial and territorial partners currently participating in the program to improve the quality of data collected. Agreements with provinces and territories covering fiscal years 2023–28 contain data reporting requirements to enable the monitoring of impacts from a gender and diversity perspective and to ensure programs tailored to the needs of diverse populations are in place.

Contraventions Regime

This program includes the Contraventions Act Fund for the implementation in provinces of official languages measures as required within the context of proceedings commenced under the Contraventions Act. The Contraventions Act provides an alternative to the summary conviction procedure of the Criminal Code for the prosecution of certain federal offences designated as contraventions and allows for these offences to be prosecuted using existing provincial ticketing regimes. While the provinces where the regime is implemented act on behalf of the federal government, they must fulfil federal official languages rights obligations – those involving the language rights of the accused and language rights in public communications. As such, the federal government established the Contraventions Act Fund to ensure the implementation of the Contraventions Act ticketing regime in a manner consistent with all applicable constitutional and legislative language rights and obligations. The Fund aims to provide provinces and territories with the ability to deliver judicial activities and extra-judicial services in both official languages.

In 2024–25, the Fund will continue to collect data and report annually on the total number of contraventions tickets issued, including the number of trials requested in each official language. In addition, data will be collected on the number of trials held in the second official language of the jurisdiction and the number of trials requested in the second official language which were scheduled but not held, including the underlying reasons for this. Lastly, the impact of the program will be monitored through the number of complaints, if any, concerning non-compliance with federal obligations under the Official Languages Act and the Criminal Code.

The collected data will be used to monitor and assess program impacts on official language minority groups, including access to justice in the official language of their choice. The program will continue to work in close collaboration with funding partners to identify possible barriers to accessing services in official languages and address these proactively, as needed.

Victims of Crime

This program includes the Federal Victims Strategy (FVS) and the Victims Fund and is intended to benefit victims and survivors of crime, including those from diverse backgrounds and identities, such as: racialized, ethnic and/or cultural minority groups; 2SLGBTQI+ community members; children and youth; seniors; persons with disabilities; and others who experience violent victimization and crime at higher rates. It also considers the intersections of various GBA Plus factors in the design and delivery of program, legislative and policy initiatives.

In 2024–25, in support of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and the objectives of the Department’s FVS and the Victims Fund, the Department will continue to support projects that provide access to free legal advice and representation for victims and survivors of sexual assault.

In addition, the Victims Fund will continue to provide increased and expanded support for families of missing and murdered Indigenous people (including women, girls, 2SLGBTQI+ people, men and boys) as well as implement new funding to support Indigenous victims and survivors of crime. This funding addresses the gaps in specialized distinctions-based services and supports for First Nations, Inuit and Métis by providing culturally safe and client-centred services.

To advance data collection and the integration of GBA Plus principles in the design and delivery of its services, the Department will continue to require GBA Plus analysis of all activities as part of the funding application process for all project funding provided under the Victims Fund. Approved projects are required to use an intersectional lens in developing their interventions and activities and when selecting their target audience. In addition, funding recipients are asked to report the outcomes of that analysis as part of the reporting requirements in their funding agreement. Funding recipients also provide quantitative and qualitative data annually, including by collecting disaggregated data and providing narrative reporting, to support the tracking of GBA Plus indicators and outcomes.

To monitor the results of the program and improve the reporting on impacts related to gender and diversity, the Department will continue to collect disaggregated data on identity characteristics, such as age, gender identity, racialized identity and ethno-cultural group, Indigenous identity, and location. Data collected will be reported as part of the FVS evaluation cycle as well as the Federal Gender-Based Violence Strategy annual reports.

Youth Justice

Under Youth Justice, the Department of Justice Canada administers three grant and contribution programs: the Youth Justice Services Funding Program (YJSFP), the Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision (IRCS) Program, and the Youth Justice Fund (YJF).

Together, these programs support a wide range of youth justice programming that advance GBA Plus priorities, including extrajudicial/diversion programming, youth restorative justice programs, custodial and/or community-based rehabilitative and reintegration programming, as well as specialized programming for youth struggling with complex mental health issues, trauma, and addictions. In addition, they support gender and culturally informed programming by:

The general youth justice population, between the ages of 12 and 17 at the time of the offence, is the primary target for this programming. However, the youth justice subpopulations that benefit the most from the programming are the subpopulations that are overrepresented in the criminal justice system (i.e. males, Indigenous youth, and Black youth).

The Department will continue to work on improving data collection and programming information provided by provinces and territories and non-governmental organisations. For example, as part of the reporting requirements, YJF recipients are expected to collect disaggregated data on participants in a number of GBA Plus categories, such as gender, ethnicity and age group.

In 2024–25, in collaboration with Statistics Canada, the Department will continue to include individual-level IRCS program data in the Social Data Linkage Environment (SDLE). The SDLE expands the potential of data integration across multiple domains, such as health, justice, education and income, through the creation of linked analytical data files to address important research questions and inform socio-economic policy. This will enable the Department to track outcomes for IRCS program participants in a disaggregated manner. The Department will also continue to collaborate with Statistics Canada on a national framework of indicators that will monitor progress on addressing the overrepresentation of Indigenous, Black and racialized people, including youth in the criminal justice system.

Family Justice

Under Family Justice, the Canadian Family Justice Fund (CFJF) facilitates access to the family justice system for families experiencing separation and divorce.

The CFJF will continue to extend the reach of family justice programs, services and information to meet the needs of diverse and underserved populations. In 2024–25, the Department will continue to provide funding to provinces and territories for supervised parenting services, which are intended to support access to justice for families experiencing separation and divorce, and promote safe outcomes for children and families experiencing family violence.

All funding applicants are expected to apply a GBA Plus lens. Furthermore, approved projects are required to integrate an intersectional GBA Plus approach into the design and delivery of their programs and services. Further reporting on GBA Plus outcomes is also required as part of the application process.

In 2024–25, the program will implement updated exit surveys, namely the Family Mediation Service and the Parenting Education Program surveys, which include specific questions related to GBA Plus. These revamped exit surveys contain significant changes that will ensure the use of an inclusive approach and gather more comprehensive data. For example, a key adjustment is changing "mother" and "father" to "parent" to foster greater inclusiveness. Options are also expanded to include "guardian" and "caregiver" and “other relative” based on recurring responses from previous years' data. Furthermore, new demographic questions are included to collect data on relevant identity factors. These changes aim to improve data collection and create a more inclusive and insightful feedback process.

Furthermore, the Department will continue to consult provinces and territories on best practices for the reporting template. Feedback received through this process will be integrated into the updated annual reporting templates to ensure consistency and completeness of reported data by provinces and territories, as well as non-governmental organizations. The updated annual reporting templates will be launched by the end of June 2025 and will improve the capacity of the program to report on gender and diversity impacts.

In addition to data collected by the Department through exit surveys for some family justice services, such as parenting education programs and maintenance enforcement programs, the Family Justice program relies on partner organizations, such as Statistics Canada, for data collection, including the disaggregation of data by different identity characteristics. For example, the data related to family law cases in Canada is disaggregated by gender, geographic location and other relevant factors, which provides more comprehensive data to support the intersectional analysis related to the gender and diversity impacts of the program.

Indigenous Justice

Under Indigenous Justice, there are three grant and contribution programs: the Indigenous Justice Program (IJP); the Indigenous Courtwork Program (ICW); and the Indigenous Partnership Fund (IPF).

The three programs have positive benefits for Indigenous victims as well as Indigenous persons in contact with the criminal justice system. Together these programs contribute to improving access to justice for Indigenous peoples, increasing safety and security for Indigenous communities as well as improving community health and well-being.

Collected IJP and ICW client and participant information is disaggregated by various identity factors, such as age, gender, and Indigenous identity, where possible. In addition, data on Indigenous identity collected by the IJP is further disaggregated to First Nations, Inuit and Métis populations. This information is used for program reporting and evaluation, as well as to identify trends and impacts on diverse groups of the population.

In 2024–25, the IJP will continue to provide additional training to improve the capacity of funding recipients to report disaggregated data on a broader range of program activities. Ongoing training on the IJP’s new online data collection tool is expected to further improve the quality of the data collected by the program. 

The IJP Online Referral Reporting Application (the App) is a user-friendly and accessible tool used to collect program-specific demographic information, disaggregated by relevant factors. It provides funding recipients with an efficient and streamlined reporting process to more easily meet reporting requirements. Data collected through the App can also help programs with client management, internal evaluations, strategic planning, and reports. Furthermore, the data collected will be used by the IJP to track program development and delivery, and to inform the design, development, and evaluation of the IJP as a whole.

The IJP is currently funding projects focused on systemic change informed by Gladue Principles. As part of the reporting process, funding recipients will be asked to identify how they have integrated gender and other GBA Plus considerations into their project and the differential impacts they have observed on beneficiaries. Final project reports to be submitted in 2025-26 will include information from funding recipients on the observed impacts of these initiatives on different groups of beneficiaries.

Furthermore, the ICW has introduced revised GBA Plus reporting factors in the most recent five-year agreements (2023–28) with provinces and territories. During 2024–25, the ICW will continue to work with provincial and territorial partners to implement the funding announced in Fall 2020 to support the writing of Gladue reports.

Funding provided through the IPF will facilitate consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples in implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and the Action Plan. Funding will support Indigenous peoples’ continued participation in the various implementation, monitoring and oversight processes described in the Action Plan. There are two IPF funding streams. Stream 1 provides core capacity support directly to First Nations, Inuit and Métis governments and representative institutions, including modern treaty partners, self-governing nations and historic treaty partners; and national and regional Indigenous representative organizations of First Nations, Inuit and Métis rights holders and Indigenous women’s organizations. This stream also includes targeted funding for national Indigenous women’s organizations to help address the need for a gendered, intersectional approach to UN Declaration Act implementation in which Inuit, First Nations and Métis women, as distinctions-based, gender-specific rights-holders, are consulted, upholding their collective and individual rights under the UN Declaration. Stream 2 will be administered through a call for proposals open to First Nations, Métis and Inuit groups or organizations; organizations representing Indigenous women, youth, Elders, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI+ persons; and urban Indigenous organizations and other Indigenous-led sectorial groups.

The IPF will continue to support the above diverse groups by actively seeking out their participation in the consultations and their collaboration for the overall implementation process. This will be done through advising organizations representing diverse groups of the call for proposals for funding; asking funding applicants to identify how they will engage with diverse individuals should they receive funding; and monitoring engagement to assess whether there are any unintended impacts or barriers that are preventing the participation of diverse groups and addressing these where possible. Further, the Department will collect data on the number and types of Indigenous governments and organizations funded, disaggregated by types of Indigenous governments and organizations funded (e.g. distinctions-based; regional; representing diverse interest-based communities).

Justice System Partnerships

Under Justice System Partnerships, there are two grant and contribution programs: the Justice Partnership and Innovation Program (JPIP) and the Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund.

The JPIP responds to the changing conditions affecting Canadian justice policy and emerging priority issues, including supporting racialized and Indigenous communities to access legal services. The program also contributes to addressing family violence and improving access to justice.

The JPIP will continue to support projects to increase access to culturally appropriate and accessible legal information, as well as projects to provide support and advice for racialized and Indigenous communities across Canada. The funded projects will support these communities to increase their understanding of the law and their rights, how to exercise their rights in legal matters and to make informed decisions. To monitor the impact of the initiative on diverse groups, the Department will continue to collect data disaggregated by relevant factors, including by location, gender identity, racialized identity and ethno-cultural group, age, and language. Funding recipients are required, as part of the funding agreement, to apply an intersectional GBA Plus lens to the development and implementation of project activities. Annual reports provided by funding recipients will capture the progress and the successful advancement of GBA Plus outcomes.

The JPIP will support projects that will improve access to justice for victims and survivors of intimate partner violence by providing access to independent legal advice and representation. The funded projects will support victims and survivors in making informed decisions about their circumstances, which is intended to increase their confidence and make their voices more effective in the criminal and family justice systems. As part of the monitoring and assessment of the impacts and reach of this initiative on diverse groups, the Department will continue to collect client data disaggregated by gender identity, sexual identity, ethnic and racial identity, location, and age. Funded recipients are expected to report annually on how their project applies an intersectional GBA Plus lens to the implementation of their activities and services. 

The activities and projects undertaken pursuant to the Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund (Fund) enhance the development and vitality of official language minority communities and are positive measures within the meaning of the Official Languages Act.

Among these activities and projects, the Fund provides operational/core funding to non-governmental organizations, supports provinces and territories with their implementation of the official languages provision under the Divorce Act, supports the provision of legal linguistic training and professional development initiatives for justice system stakeholders, the development of legal linguistic tools, and offers free legal information and support services to official language minority communities (OLMCs).

OLMCs across Canada are very diverse in their makeup. Projects that aim to assist them use a GBA Plus approach, which takes into account additional intersecting identity factors such as age, sexual orientation, disability, education, language, geography, culture and income.

In 2024–25, the Department will continue to implement the priorities of the Fund, as set out in the new Government Action Plan for Official languages 2023-28. One of the key measures taken will be funding new projects that support underserved and underrepresented members of OLMCs with regard to access to justice. For example, the Fund aims to increase the offer of socio-legal services (SLS) in OLMCs. SLS are a set of extrajudicial means of helping a litigant navigate the legal system according to their specific needs, in a way that supports their well-being (e.g. emotional and cultural support, information, orientation, obtaining forms). SLS would make it possible to respond to the increased and constant demand for legal information and orientation by immigrant populations in OLMCs, among others. 

Since funding recipients are required to report on their activities, information will be collected as to the population groups targeted by the projects, type of communities, number of individuals reached, and specific information on vulnerable populations reached through the projects’ activities. This disaggregated data will be analyzed following the submission of annual reports and results will be shared, as available, through the Departmental Results Reports.

To this end, the program will continue to implement a new reporting template, which includes a specific section to collect disaggregated GBA Plus data. The final version of the template will reflect feedback received through consultations with partners, including provinces, territories and non-governmental organizations.

Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime

The Office of the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime (OFOVC) is an independent resource for victims. It works with stakeholders and clients to inform its recommendations to the federal government on steps to address intimate-partner and domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and femicide. Victims of crime are often overlooked in the criminal justice system, so bringing forward their concerns advances equity.

In 2024–25, the OFOVC will continue to support this goal through a number of initiatives, including:

The OFOVC will continue to collect demographic data provided by victims and use it to identify trends or issues that may have a negative impact on diverse groups of victims. Furthermore, the program will also work towards addressing gaps in data reporting in the next fiscal year.

For example, the OFOVC will be launching a National Working Group on Black Survivors to identify and address systemic gaps and intersectional discrimination Black people face in the criminal justice system as victims of crime.

In addition, to strengthen its capacity to report on GBA Plus impacts, the OFOVC will continue to advance the implementation of its new data strategy and new case management system.

Internal Services

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that support the Department's programs and/or are required to meet the organization’s corporate obligations.

Internal Services influence the:

In addition to ongoing data collection based on employment equity factors, Internal Services houses Justice Canada’s Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Secretariat (ARADS). ARADS is implementing new measures, and making improvements to existing measures, to better report on impacts by gender, racial identity, and ability in the future.

For example, a results map and indicators have been developed to support the monitoring and evaluation of initiatives in the 2021–24 Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Results Framework. The data collected is used to determine the efficacy of current initiatives in increasing representation and career development opportunities for Indigenous, Black, and other racialized employees, members of the 2SLGBTQI+ and Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) communities, and persons with disabilities. A Departmental Employment Systems Review (ESR) is currently underway to review Justice’s formal and informal policies, practices, and systems to identify systemic and attitudinal barriers to employment opportunities for equity groups.

In 2024–25, the Department will continue to advance initiatives identified in its Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Results Framework and Employment Equity Plan by furthering its work on targeted recruitment, career development for equity-seeking group members and data collection through the Self-identification and Voluntary Self-declaration Questionnaire.

The Self-Identification and Voluntary Self-Declaration Questionnaire, which was relaunched in July 2023, will inform initiatives to improve opportunities for equity-seeking groups. Going forward, Justice will continue to create a supportive environment that encourages employees to self-identify and self-declare. In 2024-25, ARADS and HR Business Analytics will continue to build dashboards to synthesize data, including representation of departmental workforce, promotion/hire/retention rates and disaggregated data.

Justice is developing a Mentorship Plus program which includes Sponsorship for equity-seeking group members. A framework will be developed for this program to expand to other groups and levels in the organization and will be launched in 2024–25.

The Department’s Employment Equity Plan 2022–25 includes goals regarding representation, recruitment, promotion, and retention of employees from employment equity-seeking groups and includes reporting on a semi-annual basis. The Department will continue using Statistics Canada’s advanced dynamic population projection model (Demosim) to project active labour force data and identify future-oriented hiring targets.

In 2024–25, the Department will continue to implement its Accessibility Plan by:

The Department’s Accessibility Plan sets out actions the Department is taking to identify, remove, and prevent barriers for persons with disabilities. The actions in the Accessibility Plan reflect the results of consultations regarding the impacts of barriers on persons with disabilities. Participants in the consultations often have intersecting identity factors of diverse groups including women, Indigenous people, racialized persons and the 2SLGBTQI+ | SOGIE communities. The Department will continue to monitor implementation status against the planned actions on a semi-annual basis. Feedback gathering will continue to occur on an ongoing basis, along with open communication within the Accessibility Network. Improvements are made based on the feedback received. In 2024–25, the Department will publish an Annual Report against the Accessibility Plan for transparent tracking of effectiveness in identifying, removing, and preventing both existing and emerging barriers.