2017-18 Departmental Plan

Spending and Human Resources

Planned Spending

Expenditure Highlights

As depicted in the chart below, the Department’s total planned spending (statutory and voted) is expected to decrease in 2017-18 to $656.2 million from a forecast spending of $704.2 million in 2016-17. As the primary provider of legal services to federal government departments and agencies, the Department of Justice has a Vote-Netted Revenue Authority (VNR) to collect and spend revenue from such services as part of the Vote 1 (operating expenditures) authority. For the purpose of departmental reporting, these re-spendable revenues reduce total departmental authorities and expenditures. For purposes of comparison “planned spending” is net of re-spendable revenues.

Departmental Spending Trend Graph (millions of dollars)

Departmental Spending Trend (millions of dollars)
	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20
Sunset Programs-Anticipated				44.23	51.09	51.09
Statutory	77.65	73.12	79.95	71.54	70.92	70.92
Voted	631.20	610.10	624.24	584.62	581.46	579.76
Total	708.85	683.22	704.19	700.39	703.48	701.77

The Department has a Vote-Netted Revenue of $296.2 million with a corresponding offset to the Operating Budget. The Vote-Netted Revenue is notionally distributed between the Legal Services to Government and Internal Services Programs. The actual revenues distributed between Programs could vary depending on numerous factors such as legal service rates approved by Treasury Board annually, fluctuation in the demand for legal services from client departments, and the actual amount of revenues collected over or below the authority. As depicted in the graph below, the forecasted amount of re-spendable revenues for the Department is expected to reach $295.1 million.

Departmental Vote Netted Revenue Trend Graph (millions of dollars)

Departmental Vote Netted Revenue Trend (millions of dollars)
	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20
Vote Netted Revenue	297.2	293.5	295.1	296.2	296.2	296.2

Budgetary Planning Summary Table (dollars)
Program(s) and Internal Services	2014–15 Expenditures	2015–16 Expenditures	2016–17 Forecast Spending	2017–18 Main Estimates	2017–18 Planned Spending	2018–19 Planned Spending	2019–20 Planned Spending
Strategic Outcome 1: A Fair, Relevant and Accessible Canadian Justice System
Program 1.1: Stewardship of the Canadian Legal Framework	383,759,270	384,331,448	416,355,245	385,118,141	385,118,141	386,176,639	384,478,149
Program 1.2: Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime	1,080,164	1,115,554	1,225,894	1,312,105	1,312,105	1,312,105	1,312,105
Subtotal	384,839,434	385,447,002	417,581,139	386,430,246	386,430,246	387,488,744	385,790,254
Strategic Outcome 2: A Federal Government that is Supported by High-Quality Legal Services
Program 2.1: Legal Services to Government Program	208,762,406	194,449,097	195,316,292	195,920,770	195,920,770	191,669,494	191,669,494
Subtotal	208,762,406	194,449,097	195,316,292	195,920,770	195,920,770	191,669,494	191,669,494
Internal Services – Subtotal	115,249,778	103,323,708	91,295,715	73,808,640	73,808,640	73,228,692	73,220,582
Total	708,851,618	683,219,807	704,193,146	656,159,656	656,159,656	652,386,930	650,680,330

Note: Variance may arise due to rounding. The financial information presented in the table is net of respendable revenues. Planned spending for 2017-18 and beyond excludes all Treasury Board central votes funding.

Budgetary Planning Summary

In the tables above, the forecast spending for 2016-17 reflects the authorities received to date, including Treasury Board Central Votes funding for the operating budget carry-forward and from ratified collective agreements as well as any forecasted surpluses within the Department’s programs. The planned spending for 2017-18 and future years reflects funds already brought into the Department's reference levels; it does not reflect future Budget decisions.

The Department of Justice’s forecasted expenditures are $704.2 million and $656.2 million for 2016-17 and 2017-18 respectively. These spending figures are net of the Department’s Net Vote Authority, which allows it to collect and spend revenue for the delivery of legal services to other government departments.

The $48.0 million variance of expenditures between 2016-17 and 2017-18 is primarily attributable to the following major factors:

Stewardship of the Canadian Legal Framework:: The planned decrease in spending is primarily explained by the Department’s expiry of budgetary spending authorities for certain initiatives at the end of this fiscal year (for example the Indigenous Justice Program, the Supporting Families Experiencing Separation and Divorce Initiative and the Immigration and Refugee Legal Aid component of the Legal Aid Program) and offset by forecasted surpluses in program spending.
Legal Services to Government Program:: No significant variances are identified.
Internal Services:: The reduction in planned spending for internal services is primarily attributable to obtaining one-time project funding from the 2016-17 Operating Budget Carry Forward central vote.

Planned Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs))

Human Resources Planning Summary Table (Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs))
Program and Internal Services	2014-15 FTEs	2015-16 FTEs	2016-17 Forecast FTEs	2017-18 Planned FTEs	2018-19 Planned FTEs	2019–20 Planned FTEs
Program 1.1: Stewardship of the Canadian Legal Framework	253	255	254	254	254	254
Program 1.2: Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime	9	9	9	9	9	9
Program 2.1: Legal Services to Government Program	3,079	3,023	3,089	3,089	3,089	3,089
Subtotal	3,341	3,287	3,352	3,352	3,352	3,352
Internal Services	1,058	1,050	948	948	948	948
Total	4,399	4,337	4,300	4,300	4,300	4,300

Note: Variance may arise due to rounding.

Estimates by Vote

For information on the Department of Justice Canada’s organizational appropriations, consult the 2017‐18 Main Estimates.

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations

The Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations provides a general overview of the Department of Justice’s operations. The forecast of financial information on expenses and revenues is prepared on an accrual accounting basis to strengthen accountability and to improve transparency and financial management.

Because the Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations is prepared on an accrual accounting basis, and the forecast and planned spending amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan are prepared on an expenditure basis, amounts differ.

A more detailed Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations to the requested authorities, can be found on the Department of Justice’s website.

Future‑Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations for the Year Ended March 31, 2018 (dollars)
Financial Information	2016–17 Forecast Results	2017–18 Planned Results	Difference (2017–18 Planned Results minus 2016–17 Forecast Results)
Total expenses	1,082,287	1,037,943	(44,344)
Total revenues	295,081	296,200	1,119
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers	787,206	741,743	(45,463)

Total expenses will decrease from $1082.3 million to $1038.0 million (decrease of $44.3 million) primarily due to the expiry of budgetary spending authorities for certain initiatives (as stated previously in this report) and due to the funding received in 2016-17 from Treasury Board Central Votes (Operating Budget Carry-Forward) being included in the 2016-17 forecast results but not in the 2017-18 planned spending. These decreases are offset by forecasted surpluses in 2016-17 that are not included in planned spending for 2017-18.

The variation in revenues from $295.1 million to $296.2 million (increase of $1.1 million) is attributable to the difference between the latest revenue forecast for 2016-17 and the approved Vote Netted Revenue authority in 2017-18.

Date modified:: 2022-05-13

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