2017-18 Departmental Plan

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Minister's Message

I am pleased to present the Department of Justice’s strategic plan for 2017-18.

Our 2017–18 Departmental Plan provides parliamentarians and Canadians with information on what we do and the results we are trying to achieve during the upcoming year. To improve reporting to Canadians, we are introducing a new, simplified report to replace the Report on Plans and Priorities.

The title of the report has been changed to reflect its purpose: to communicate our annual performance goals and the financial and human resources forecast to deliver those results. The report has also been restructured to tell a clearer, more straightforward and balanced story of the actual results we are trying to achieve, while continuing to provide transparency on how taxpayers’ dollars will be spent. We describe our programs and services for Canadians, our priorities for 2017–18, and how our work will fulfill our departmental mandate commitments and the Government’s priorities.

This new reporting will allow Canadians to more easily follow our Department’s progress toward delivering on our priorities, which were outlined in my mandate letter from the Prime Minister.

I am very proud of what we have accomplished together so far. In the year ahead, Justice will continue to play a central role in supporting the Government’s overall priorities. Specifically, we will be focusing on reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, transforming the criminal justice system, and strengthening human rights and respect for the rule of law. As always, we are determined to continue providing the Government with the best possible legal services, including both the full range of legal advice and support and, in my capacity as Attorney General of Canada, the conduct of litigation on behalf of the Government with integrity and excellence.

Through 2017-18, we will continue to collaborate with the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs and the Minister of Status of Women in regard to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Similarly, we will work with Cabinet colleagues to address gaps in services to Indigenous people and to those with mental illness to help them deal with the challenges of the criminal justice system. We will also support the Government in its commitment to a review of laws and policies to ensure consistency with constitutional and international human rights obligations, such as Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

We are committed to a criminal justice system that is just and fair, one that promotes the safety of Canadians within a peaceful and prosperous nation. As we take steps to transform the criminal justice system over the coming months and improve public confidence, my department and I will continue the review of laws and policies set out in the Prime Minister’s mandate letter instruction and we will work with partners in the justice system and beyond.

As we continue with this review of the system, we will also play a central role in responding to new issues as they arise. One pressing issue in particular that will have wide-ranging implications is the legalization and regulation of cannabis.

Moreover, Justice will provide essential support to help the Government fulfill its commitment to upholding the Constitution and the rule of law, as well as advancing related domestic and international legal and policy interests through the development of public law policy.

We are committed to ensuring that legislation meets the highest standards of equity, fairness and respect for the rule of law and that it respects the principles and values of the Charter.

The next year promises to be an exciting and challenging one as we mark Canada’s 150th anniversary, as well as the 35th anniversary of the adoption of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. As we celebrate these important milestones, it is time for all Canadians to envision the country Canada should be and how our justice system reflects this vision.

I am confident that the Department can continue to serve Canadians and meet its strategic outcomes – a fair, relevant and accessible justice system; and supporting the federal government with high-quality legal services – and enable the Government of Canada to achieve the goals outlined in this report.

Gilakas'la.

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