2018-19 Departmental Plan

Spending and human resources

Planned spending

The Department of Justice total planned spending for 2018-19 is $697.7 million and consists of the following allocations by Core Responsibility:

$184.8 million for Legal Services (26%);
$437.8 million for Justice System Support (63%); and
$75.1 million for Internal Services (11%)

As depicted in the chart below, the Department’s total planned spending (statutory and voted) is expected to decrease by $16.8 million in 2018-19 compared to the 2017-18 forecast spending of $714.5 million. As the primary provider of legal services to other federal government departments and agencies, the Department of Justice has a Vote-Netted Revenue Authority to collect and spend revenue from such services as part of the Vote 1 (Operating expenditures) authority. For the purpose of departmental reporting, these respendable revenues reduce total departmental authorities and expenditures. For comparability purposes, “Planned spending” is net of respendable revenues.

Departmental spending trend graph, described below

Budgetary planning summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars)^{Table note *}
Core Responsibilities and Internal Services	2015–16 Expenditures^{Table note **}	2016–17 Expenditures^{Table note **}	2017–18 Forecast spending^{Table note ***}	2018–19 Main Estimates	2018–19 Planned spending	2019–20 Planned spending	2020–21 Planned spending
Legal Services	188,797,155	186,457,240	183,847,856	184,853,562	184,853,562	184,853,562	184,920,708
Justice System Support	391,098,944	416,312,567	437,202,290	437,758,882	437,758,882	433,410,392	438,936,838
Subtotal	579,896,099	602,769,807	621,050,146	622,612,444	622,612,444	618,263,954	623,857,546
Internal Services	103,323,708	87,049,639	93,445,334	75,132,559	75,132,559	75,123,873	75,103,587
Total	683,219,807	689,819,446	714,495,480	697,745,003	697,745,003	693,387,827	698,961,133

Table notes

Table note *

Financial Resources for Planned Spending are based on Main Estimates and are net of respendable revenues. In addition, planned spending for 2018-19 and beyond exclude all Treasury Board central votes funding (such as severance pay expenditures, parental benefit expenditures, vacation credits payable upon termination of employment and the Operating Budget Carry Forward).

Return to table note * referrer

Table note **

Prior-year expenditures and forecast spending for 2017-18 have been realigned from the Program Alignment Architecture (reporting structure until March 31, 2017) to the Departmental Results Framework (core responsibilities) for presentation and comparability purposes. Official results for those years are or will be presented in the Public Accounts of Canada and the Departmental Results Reports of the Department (formerly Departmental Performance Reports).

Return to first table note ** referrer

Table note ***

Forecast as of December 31, 2017.

Return to table note *** referrer

Budgetary Planning Summary

The $6.6 million increase between fiscal years 2015-16 and 2016-17 resulted mostly from an increase in spending linked to Budget 2016 commitments for items such as increased funding for contributions to the provinces and territories for the delivery of legal aid to ensure access to justice for economically disadvantaged persons, and funding to assist Indigenous people facing the criminal justice system.

The increase of $24.7 million in planned spending in 2017-18 compared to the spending of 2016-17 is mostly explained by the impact of recent signed and ratified collective agreements and increases in contribution spending for programs such as criminal, immigration and refugee Legal Aid and Access to Justice Services to the Territories.

The forecasted expenditures of 2017-18 also include the expenditures to date related to authorities received from Treasury Board Central Votes for the operating budget carry forward and for salary adjustments from ratified collective agreements. These expenditures are not included in the planned spending of 2018-19 and future years, which explains in part the decrease in planned spending. The planned spending for 2018-19 and future years reflect funds already brought into the Department’s reference levels; it does not reflect future budget decisions.

2018–19 Budgetary planned gross spending summary (dollars)
Core Responsibilities and Internal Services	2018–19 Planned gross spending	2018–19 Planned revenues netted against expenditures	2018–19 Planned net spending
Legal Services	454,853,562	270,000,000	184,853,562
Justice System Support	437,758,882	0	437,758,882
Subtotal	892,612,444	270,000,000	622,612,444
Internal Services	101,332,559	26,200,000	75,132,559
Total	993,945,003	296,200,000	697,745,003

The Department’s Vote-Netted Revenue (VNR) amounts to $296.2 million with a corresponding offset to the Operating Budget. The VNR is notionally distributed between the Legal Services 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 respendable revenues for the Department is expected to reach $314.9 million in 2017-18.

Departmental Vote Netted Revenue Trend Graph, described below

Planned human resources

Human resources planning summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (full-time equivalents)

Core Responsibilities and Internal Services	2015–16 Full-time equivalents^{Table note *}	2016–17 Full-time equivalents^{Table note *}	2017–18 Forecast full-time equivalents^{Table note **}	2018–19 Planned full-time equivalents	2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents
Legal Services	2,990	3,047	3,039	3,039	3,039	3,039
Justice System Support	297	298	289	289	289	289
Subtotal	3,287	3,345	3,328	3,328	3,328	3,328
Internal Services	1,050	966	985	985	985	985
Total	4,337	4,311	4,313	4,313	4,313	4,313

Estimates by vote

For information on the Department of Justice’s organizational appropriations, consult the 2018–19 Main Estimates.

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations

The Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations provides a general overview of the Department of Justice Canada’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 may 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, are available on the Department of Justice Canada’s website.

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations
for the year ended March 31, 2019 (dollars)
Financial information	2017–18 Forecast results	2018–19 Planned results	Difference (2018–19 Planned results minus 2017–18 Forecast results)
Total expenses	1,111,118	1,068,855	(42,263)
Total revenues	314,875	296,200	(18,675)
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers	796,243	772,655	(23,588)

Total expenses will decrease from $1,111.1 million to $1,068.8 million (a decrease of $42.3 million) primarily due to the funding received in 2017-18 from TB Central Votes (e.g. Operating Budget Carry-Forward and Compensation funding for the impact of recent signed and ratified collective agreements) being included in the 2017-18 forecast results but not in the 2018-19 planned results.

The variation in revenues from $314.9 million to $296.2 million (a decrease of $18.7 million) is attributable to the difference between the latest revenue forecast for 2017-18 and the approved Vote-Netted Revenue authority in 2018-19.

Date modified:: 2022-05-13

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