Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) 2013-14
The original version was signed by
The Honourable Robert Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Table of Contents
Section I: Organizational Overview
- Raison d'être
- Responsibilities
- Strategic Outcome and Program Alignment Architecture (PAA)
- Organizational Priorities
- Risk Analysis
- Planning Summary
- Expenditure Profile
- Estimates by Vote
Section II: Analysis of Programs by Strategic Outcome
- Strategic Outcome: The administration of Canada's final court of appeal is effective and independent
- Program: Court Operations
- Planning Highlights
- Program: Processing of payments to Judges of the Supreme Court of Canada, pursuant to the Judges Act
- Planning Highlights
- Program: Internal Services
- Planning Highlights
Section III: Supplementary Information
- Financial Highlights
- Future-Oriented Financial Statements
- List of Supplementary Information Tables
- Tax Expenditures and Evaluations Report
Section IV: Other Items of Interest
- Organizational Contact Information
- Listing of Statutory and Departmental Reports
- Legislation Administered
Registrar's Message
I am pleased to present the 2013-14 Report on Plans and Priorities for the Supreme Court of Canada.
The Supreme Court of Canada is Canada's final court of appeal. The independence of the Court, the quality of its work and the esteem in which it is held both in Canada and abroad contribute significantly as foundations for a secure, strong and democratic country founded on the Rule of Law.
The Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada has a deep appreciation for the importance of the Court's role and focuses its efforts on a single strategic outcome, namely that "the administration of Canada's final court of appeal is effective and independent".
The core work of the Office continues to be the processing and management of all cases brought to the Court. The environment and context in which the Court decides cases is continuously evolving, thereby dictating new risks and challenges.
In 2013-14, the Office will place a high priority on pursuing the work accomplished towards the adaptation of business processes in an electronic environment, with a view to continuously improve electronic access to the Court's case files and information, both for internal use by the Court as well as by the public and litigants. In parallel with its business transformation initiative, the Office of the Registrar will also increase its focus on exploring operational efficiencies and ensuring optimal use of resources.
Ongoing initiatives include further enhancements to the Court's overall security services, as well as the continuing work to plan a proposed refurbishment project for the aging infrastructure of the Supreme Court of Canada building.
I wish to conclude by thanking the entire staff of the Court for their continuing hard work and enthusiasm in serving the Court and Canadians with unfailing professionalism and a dedicated sense of purpose.
Roger Bilodeau, Q.C.
Section I: Organizational Overview
Raison d'être
Created by an Act of Parliament in 1875, the Supreme Court of Canada is Canada's final court of appeal. It serves Canadians by deciding legal issues of public importance, thereby contributing to the development of all branches of law applicable within Canada. The independence of the Court, the quality of its work and the esteem in which it is held both in Canada and abroad contribute significantly as foundations for a secure, strong and democratic country founded on the Rule of Law. The Supreme Court of Canada is an important national institution, positioned at the pinnacle of the judicial branch of government in Canada, separate from and independent of the executive and legislative branches of government.
The Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada provides all necessary services and support for the Court to process, hear and decide cases. It also serves as the interface between litigants and the Court. The focus of this report is on the priorities and activities of the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada.
More detailed information on the Court's responsibilities, the hearing process and judgments is available on the Supreme Court of Canada website.
Responsibilities
In accordance with the Supreme Court Act, the Supreme Court of Canada consists of the Chief Justice and eight puisne judges, all of whom are appointed by the Governor in Council. The Supreme Court of Canada hears appeals from the decisions of the highest courts of final resort of the provinces and territories, as well as from the Federal Court of Appeal and the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada. In addition, the Court provides advisory opinions on questions referred to it by the Governor in Council. The importance of the Court's decisions for Canadian society is well recognized. The Court assures uniformity, consistency and correctness in the articulation, development and interpretation of legal principles throughout the Canadian judicial system. Its jurisdiction is derived from the Supreme Court Act and other Acts of Parliament, such as the Criminal Code.
The Registrar, also a Governor in Council appointee, heads the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada and is responsible for the management of its employees, resources and activities. The Supreme Court Act provides that the Registrar shall, under the direction of the Chief Justice, superintend the officers, clerks and employees of the Court, report and publish the judgments of the Court, as well as manage and control the library of the Court and purchase books therefore. The organization of the Office of the Registrar is depicted in the following diagram and further explained in the paragraphs that follow.
Description of image
The chart shows the organizational structure of the Court. Under the direction of the Chief Justice, who is supported by the Executive Legal Officer, the Registrar is the Deputy Head of the Court. He is responsible for the Judicial Support and Protocol Sector and the Corporate Services Sector. The Registrar is seconded by the Deputy Registrar who is responsible for the Court Operations Sector and the Communications Services.
Judicial Support and Protocol Services Sector: The Judicial Support and Protocol Services Sector is responsible for the delivery of all judicial support services to the Chief Justice of Canada and the eight puisne judges of the Supreme Court of Canada, including protocol, the development and delivery of integrated judicial support programs and services, judicial administration, the Law Clerk program as well as judges' dining room services.
Court Operations Sector: Composed of the Law Branch, Reports Branch, Registry Branch and the Library and Information Management Branch, this sector is responsible for the planning, direction and provision of legal advice and operational support for the judges of the Supreme Court of Canada, respecting all aspects of the case management process from the initial filing to the final judgment on an appeal. This includes processing and recording proceedings, scheduling of cases, legal and jurilinguistic services, legal research and library services, legal editing services and publication of the Canada Supreme Court Reports. The Registry is the point of contact between the Court and litigants and it provides information and services to counsel and litigants, including unrepresented litigants. Information management services, including case related and corporate records information, are also provided by the Sector.
Communications Services: The Communications Services develop and implement communication strategies, plans and programs to increase public awareness and understanding of the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as to enhance internal communications within the Court.
Corporate Services Sector: Administrative and operational support for all the Court's judges and staff is provided by the Corporate Services Sector, which is responsible for: strategic, business and resource planning; corporate reporting; management accountability; modern management methods and tools; integrated risk management; finance; procurement; accommodation (telecommunications, mail and printing services); human resources; security; health and safety; emergency management and preparedness; development, delivery and management of IT strategies, plans, policies, standards and procedures; as well as business continuity planning.
Strategic Outcome and Program Alignment Architecture (PAA)
Description of image
The Program Architecture diagram illustrates the links between the Strategic Outcome and the Programs.
The Court's Strategic Outcome is: The administration of Canada's final court of appeal is effective and independent.
Three Programs contribute to the Strategic Outcome:
- Court Operations
- Processing of payments to Judges of the Supreme Court of Canada pursuant to the Judges Act
- Internal Services
Organizational Priorities
The focus of the Office of the Registrar will continue to be the processing of cases without delay while maintaining stakeholder satisfaction and high standards of service. The Registrar's Five-Year Vision (2011-16) is that judges and staff of the Supreme Court of Canada will be able to access and process all cases and case-related information electronically while the public and lawyers will be able to file and access case-related documents electronically. It is important for the Office of the Registrar to continue to be a leader in court administration and for it to maintain ongoing operations as it works toward that vision. This requires the best possible organizational structure, skilled staff and optimal utilization of resources.
The challenge will be to achieve that vision while responding to stakeholders' day-to-day expectations. That vision will also require changes to strengthen the Office's business processes and to make its operations more efficient. Change has its challenges, including securing appropriate resources to effect necessary changes. Since having undertaken its transformation initiatives, the Office of the Registrar has been able to work within its exiting reference levels. However, some sectors are experiencing increasing challenges in the quest to deliver current services while implementing change. As a result, internal reallocations may be required to allow necessary business changes, leading to the risk of affecting some services, thereby creating an additional challenge.
| Priority | Type | Strategic Outcome and Program |
|---|---|---|
| Business Transformation | Previously committed to |
The administration of Canada's final court of appeal is effective and independent
Court Operations |
Description
Why is this a priority?
Ensure that necessary business processes and technologies are in place to enable the electronic processing of cases, thereby allowing parties to access case file documents, data and information online (based on their entitlements), providing to the public better access to court information online, enabling litigants to file documents electronically through a secure portal, as well as protecting and preserving archival and historical information in an electronic format.
Plans for meeting this priority in 2013-14
- Modernization of critical legacy IT systems to reduce the risk of system failure and to be in a better position to achieve transformational objectives.
- Business process mapping and analysis of potential efficiencies
- Revision of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Canada so as to align them with changes to business processes
- Conceptualization and design of key application architecture systems
- Implementation strategy and planning for integrated business system(s)
- Leveraging the electronic documents management system to facilitate the work of the judges of the Supreme Court of Canada in regard to dealing with applications for leave to appeal.
| Priority | Type | Strategic Outcome and Program |
|---|---|---|
| Enhancement of the security program to better meet the overall needs of the Court | Previously committed to |
The administration of Canada's final court of appeal is effective and independent
Internal Services |
Description
Why is this a priority?
Due to the sensitive nature of the Court's business and its high level profile as the court of last resort in Canada's judicial branch of government, it is essential to continue enhancing the Court's security program which has many components, such as physical security, information technology security and business continuity planning.
Plans for meeting this priority in 2013-14
- Continued update of the security policy framework
- Organizational changes to ensure readiness and capacity in the context of a proposed building rehabilitation project
- Renewal of governance arrangements with the RCMP
- Treasury Board submission for the acquisition of additional resources to support planned enhancements to the security program
- Continue to enhance the Court's IT Security Posture
- IT disaster recovery proposal and development of a Standard for the retention of backup media
| Priority | Type | Strategic Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Identification of cost saving opportunities and resource management optimization | Ongoing | The administration of Canada's final court of appeal is effective and independent |
Description
Why is this a priority?
In light of the current climate of fiscal restraint, the Court, much like any other public sector organization, is faced with the continuing challenge of doing more with less. As such, efforts will need to be dedicated in the short and medium term to ensuring that all resources are used in the most efficient and effective manner.
Plans for meeting the priority
- Identification and analysis of cost saving opportunities and potential efficiency gains
- Implementation of opportunities/projects aimed at increasing efficiency and/or reducing operating costs
- Development of efficiency indicators to track the impact of opportunities which are implemented
- Implementation of additional controls aimed at improving resource management
Risk Analysis
Operating Environment
The environment within which the Office of the Registrar must carry out its activities is continually evolving. First, to counter various ongoing pressures placed on the Court to update its facilities, systems and services, the Office of the Registrar's focus in recent years has been on courtroom modernization, information management and on enhancing electronic access to the Court for litigants and the public. Major technological changes have now been instituted and the Office of the Registrar is solidifying and leveraging these new technologies by ensuring that work processes are adapted to the new technological environment.
Second, there has been a need for a continued focus on the electronic exchange of information between or from the Judges, Court staff, the legal community and the public. The public has become more technologically savvy and comfortable using electronic tools to carry out a wide variety of functions. Consistent with this broad trend, the public expects to be able to use electronic tools to interact with the Office of the Registrar's systems to obtain information, for example by viewing webcasts of Court hearings, or accessing written submissions via the Internet. Judges and counsel are increasingly preparing their cases using electronic documents. Meanwhile, the number of electronic documents and judgments produced by the lower courts is increasing. While the Office of the Registrar has moved toward a greater acceptance of processing cases electronically (all main appeal documents are now filed electronically and some application for leave document are available in electronic format), the requirement for paper-based processes continues and will continue for some time. As a result, parallel streams (paper and electronic) of case and information processing are required. The courtroom modernization project created additional pressure to bridge the paper and electronic streams while maintaining both formats. The focus is now shifting to business transformation with a view to realizing greater efficiencies and effectiveness in all sectors of the Court's operations. Implications for the Office of the Registrar include but are not limited to:
- Storage, retention and preservation of Court information in electronic format
- Ability to hyperlink between documents and outside sources (e.g., from factum to record). This will require a revision of standards
- Increased access by parties to a single source of information on the web (With differentiated access rights assigned to Court documents based on the status of a party in a given case, along with applicable, privacy restrictions )
- Ability to manage both paper and electronic systems at the same time
- Capacity to manage documents which are not provided to the Court electronically, either through scanning or alternative workflows.
- Need to redesign the Court Case Management System (CMS) to align with current information management standards and e-filing, as well as to address aging technology issues.
- The need to be conscious of the expectations of judges and other organizations in considering and introducing new technology.
- Providing a horizontal perspective to processes, including those which affect the judges' workflows.
Third, factors such as globalization and the growing influence of privacy, national security and human rights issues continue to increase the complexity of cases being heard. More complicated motions are also being filed and the Court is frequently asked to deal with cases or issue rulings on an expedited basis. In addition, a significant number of applications for leave to appeal are being filed by self represented litigants (28% of all applications in 2012). Addressing the particular needs of self represented litigants causes additional pressure on all of the Court's operations.
Key Risks
The Office of the Registrar is faced with both operational and reputational risks. The most significant risks and key mitigation strategies are set out in the table below. These include security, funding and resource pressures, aging information technology, as well as infrastructure failure in regard to various building components.
| Description of Risk | Key Mitigation Strategies |
|---|---|
IT Security (cyber threats) Unintentional or unauthorized access, use, manipulation, interruption or destruction (via electronic means) of electronic information held by the Court and the electronic and physical infrastructure used to process, communicate and/or store that information. Risk to the security and confidentiality of judicial information and data. |
|
Security (persons, building, information, infrastructure) Threats to the safety of Judges, staff or visitors, and to the security of the building, information and infrastructure. Balancing security measures required for the protection of judges, staff and visitors with the principle of an open court (the Supreme Court of Canada building is a high volume tourism destination). |
|
Aging legacy IT systems and applications Failure of aging legacy systems and applications, such as the Case Management System (CMS), as evidenced by system downtime or failure, flexibility of systems to handle new requirements or integrate with newer products, lack of ability of SCC staff to address technical issues and to interface systems and data, and systems becoming obsolete and unmanageable if SCC waits too long to redesign and port to a new platform. |
|
Infrastructure failure within building The Supreme Court of Canada building is aging, and consequently there is a growing risk of infrastructure and building systems failure as a result of continuing property deterioration. |
|
Compromised ability to maintain program operations Risk of compromised ability to maintain program operations during an ongoing business transformation initiative due to extensive staff participation in the mapping of current processes, identification of business requirements and evaluation of proposed solutions, with no additional resources to maintain operations. |
|
Planning Summary
| Total Budgetary Expenditures (Main Estimates) 2013-14 |
Planned Spending 2013–14 | Planned Spending 2014–15 | Planned Spending 2015–16 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30.7 | 32.1 | 31.0 | 31.4 |
| 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 |
|---|---|---|
| 220.50 | 220.50 | 220.50 |
| Strategic Outcome | Program | Actual Spending 2010-11 | Actual Spending 2011-12 | Forecast Spending 2012-13 | Planned Spending | Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | ||||||
| The administration of Canada's final court of appeal is effective and independent | Court Operations | 19.7 | 14.8 | 17.2 | 16.9 | 15.8 | 15.9 | Strong and independent democratic institutions |
| Processing of payments to Judges of the Supreme Court of Canada pursuant to the Judges Act | 5.7 | 6.1 | 6.4 | 6.7 | 7.0 | Strong and independent democratic institutions | ||
| Sub-Total | 19.7 | 20.5 | 23.3 | 23.3 | 22.5 | 22.9 | ||
| Program | Actual Spending 2010-11 | Actual Spending 2011-12 | Forecast Spending 2012-13 | Planned Spending | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | ||||
| Internal Services | 10.6 | 11 | 7.9 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Sub-total | 10.6 | 11 | 7.9 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Strategic Outcome(s) Program(s), and Internal Services | Actual Spending 2010-11 | Actual Spending 2011-12 | Forecast Spending 2012-13 | Planned Spending | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | ||||
| Total | 30.3 | 31.5 | 31.2 | 32.1 | 31 | 31.4 |
The actual and planned spending are fairly stable with fluctuations due mainly to increases or decreases in amounts paid for the immediate settlement of severance pay since 2011-12. A decrease in spending for internal services for 2012-13 and beyond is due to the reallocation of Employee Benefit Plans to their respective programs. Planned spending for 2014-15 and 2015-16 is based on the Main Estimates and items already approved while the planned spending for 2013-14 is based on funding forecasts to be received during the year.
The program activities respectively titled "Court Operations" and "Processing of payments to Judges of the Supreme Court of Canada pursuant to the Judges Act" had previously been combined in 2010-11 under one program activity, i.e. Process hearings and Decisions.
Expenditure Profile
Description of image
Spending Trend - The diagram illustrates the variations, in millions of dollars, in actual spending from 2009-10 to 2011-12, forecast spending for 2012-13, and planned spending from 2013-14 to 2015-16.
Actual Spending - Indicates the amounts the Department spent: $29.0 million in 2009-10, $30.3 million in 2010-11, and $31.5 million in 2011-12.
Forecast Spending – Indicates the amount the Department is forecasting to spend in 2012-13: $31.2 million.
Planned Spending – Indicates the amounts the Department is planning to spend: $32.1 million in 2013-14, $31.0 million in 2014-15, and $31.4 million in 2015-16.
For the period of 2009-2010 to 2011-2012, actual spending represents the actual expenditures as reported in the Public Accounts, whereas for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the forecast spending represents the planned budgetary and statutory expenditures as presented in the Future-Oriented Financial Statements. For the period of 2013-2014 to 2015-2016, the planned spending reflects approved funding by Treasury Board to support the institution strategic outcomes.
In fiscal year 2013-14, the Office of the Registrar plans to spend $32.1 million to meet the expected results of its program activities and to contribute to its strategic outcome. The actual spending has been increasing gradually between 2009-2010 and 2011-12, with a constant increase of around one million per year. The increases are due to retroactive salary settlement for collective agreements, severance costs and general increases to overall personnel costs. The forecasted spending for 2012-13 shows a decrease due to lower amounts paid for immediate settlement of severance pay compared to the previous year.
For the forecast period, year-over-year planned spending is expected to remain close to the reference levels of the Office of the Registrar, with fluctuations caused by increases or decreases in cost associated with collective agreements and other Paylist requirements.
Estimates by Vote
For information on our organizational appropriations, please see the 2013–14 Main Estimates publication.
Section II: Analysis of Programs by Strategic Outcome
Strategic Outcome: The administration of Canada's final court of appeal is effective and independent
| Performance Indicators | Targets |
|---|---|
| Level of satisfaction among judges regarding quality of service | Satisfied |
| Level of satisfaction among lawyers in the legal community regarding quality of service | Satisfied |
Program: Court Operations
Program Description
In order to render decisions, the Court requires the support of the Office of the Registrar in the management of cases from the receipt of an application for leave to appeal up to and including the release of a judgment on appeal. This support includes providing services to the litigants; reviewing applications for leave to appeal and preparing advice as to whether leave to appeal should be granted; preparing summaries of the leave applications; providing procedural advice; reviewing and summarizing factums where leave to appeal is granted; receiving, controlling and preserving all incoming case documentation; tracking various time periods to ensure compliance by the parties with the Rules of the Supreme Court of Canada; recording proceedings on appeals; answering queries with regard to cases; editing and summarizing decisions of the Court; publishing decisions in the Supreme Court Reports, in accordance with the Supreme Court Act; and providing law library services with an extensive collection in both print and electronic formats to support legal research undertaken by users within the Court and members of the legal community.
Total Budgetary Expenditures |
Planned Spending |
Planned Spending |
Planned Spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15.8 | 16.9 | 15.8 | 15.8 |
| 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 |
|---|---|---|
| 154 | 154 | 154 |
| Program Expected Results | Performance Indicators | Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Cases processed without delay | Number of weeks between filing of application for leave and decision on application for leave | 14 weeks |
| Number of months between hearing and judgment | 6 months | |
| Access to Court services and information | % of lawyers and unrepresented litigants in appeals with the Supreme Court of Canada that were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with Registry services | 95% |
| Access to reference information | % of factual/bibliographic requests for reference assistance responded to within service standard of 1 working day | 95% |
| % of complex/substantive requests for reference assistance responded by date required by client | 95% | |
| % of users that were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with library services | 95% |
Planning Highlights
The Supreme Court has consistently met its performance targets in the areas of processing of cases without delay, providing effective access to Court services and programs, including reference information, and providing reliable courtroom services. At the same time, the Office of the Registrar has maintained stakeholder satisfaction and high standards of service quality. During the coming fiscal year, a sustained focus on the Court's Business Transformation Initiative will address issues associated with aging mission critical systems while moving the Court towards increased electronic access and processing of cases, more effective and efficient work processes, and the protection and preservation of historical and archival information in electronic format. Electronic records management will continue to be considered as a core foundation of business transformation. Business process mapping will look at current work processes and will identify workflows which may be streamlined or made more efficient through the introduction of new technologies.
| Category | Projected workload |
|---|---|
| Leave applications filed | 548 |
| Leave applications submitted to the Court | 550 |
| Appeals as of right filed | 15 |
| Appeals heard | 77 |
| Judgments | 78 |
Program: Processing of payments to Judges of the Supreme Court of Canada pursuant to the Judges Act
Program Description
The Judges Act is an Act respecting all federally appointed judges, and thereby applies to the judges of the Supreme Court of Canada. With respect to the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada, the Judges Act specifies the salaries of the judges of the Supreme Court of Canada, and prescribes other payments to be made to judges, namely allowances for removal, representation, incidentals, conferences and seminars, as well as annuities. The Office of the Registrar processes these payments as required by the Judges Act.
Total Budgetary Expenditures (Main Estimates) |
Planned Spending 2013-14 |
Planned Spending 2014-15 |
Planned Spending 2015-16 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.7 | 7.0 |
| 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Program Expected Results | Performance Indicators | Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Timely and accurate processing of various allowances to Judges of the Supreme Court of Canada pursuant to the Judges Act | % of payments processed within service standards | 95% |
| % of errors on payments | 2% | |
| Average time to process payments | 5 business days |
Planning Highlights
The timeliness of various allowances paid to the judges of the Court is assessed internally through the maintenance of receipt and processing dates for individual claims. In an effort to constantly improve its services, the Office of the Registrar has implemented processes to ensure accuracy and an adequate level of satisfaction. The Office has set targets of 95% for the timely processing of payments pursuant to the Judges Act, within service standards of five days and a 2% error rate in the accuracy of the payment of these claims. Accuracy of these payments is monitored on a regular basis.
Program: Internal Services
Program Description
Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; Acquisition Services; and Travel and Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.
Total Budgetary Expenditures (Main Estimates) |
Planned Spending 2013-14 |
Planned Spending 2014-15 |
Planned Spending 2015-16 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 |
|---|---|---|
| 66.5 | 66.5 | 66.5 |
Planning Highlights
Internal services support the Court by providing timely and responsive services that are effective and efficient as per established service standards. Some key initiatives planned for 2013-14 are:
- Continued assessment of the delivery of the security services program, including delivery model options, the governance model, policies, procedures and practices, as well as training and awareness.
- Pursue efforts for better integration of financial and non-financial information (e.g., human resources, court operations) at all levels of the organization so as to strengthen planning and reporting and identify and explore potential operational efficiencies.
- With the implementation of a Treasury Board Secretariat Policy on Internal Controls, a Core Control Audit (CCA) by the office of the Controller General (OCG) is planned in 2013-14 to assess the operational effectiveness of some key processes in the Office of the Registrar (i.e. Payroll, Procurement and Payments)
- Continued collaboration with Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) for the delivery of a functional program regarding the Supreme Court's proposed building rehabilitation project.
- Increased focus of Human Resources (HR) efforts on knowledge transfer/succession planning, change management and HR support, in particular:
- Renew efforts to replace employees who are leaving because of retirement or moving on to a position in a different organization, and implement a knowledge transfer and learning strategy that will help develop the next generation of employees. Adequate provision must also be made for the back-up of key staff.
- Continue to develop change management skills and competencies needed to implement major business transformation, and develop better ways of engaging all staff in business process and change initiatives.
- Clarify the role of human resources in supporting managers, with a particular emphasis on improving and streamlining hiring approaches.
- The Information Technology Branch is an integral part of the Court's business as a partner and enabler. Priorities for 2013-14 include:
- Assist Court Operations in its business transformation objectives.
- Prepare for the upgrade of key legacy applications, including the Case Management System (CMS).
- Strive for greater interoperability between new and older systems, and focus on getting the most out of the investments made in technologies over the last few years.
- The Library and Information Management Branch supports the information management needs of the organization. Priorities for 2013-14 include:
- Reviewing the results of the GC Docs Pilot Project and developing a migration strategy to deploy GC Docs across the organization.
- Improving the search experience and the efficiency and effectiveness of searching for information across organizational repositories.
- Ensuring that the Office of the Registrar is able to meet its obligations under the Treasury Board Secretariat's Directive on Recordkeeping.
Section III: Supplementary Information
Financial Highlights
| $ Change |
Forecast 2013-14 |
Estimated Results 2012-13 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses | 0.5 | 43.0 | 42.5 |
| Total revenues | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers | 0.5 | 43.0 | 42.5 |
| Departmental net financial position | (0.4) | (2.3) | (1.9) |
| $ Change |
Forecast 2013-14 |
Estimated Results 2012-13 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Total net liabilities | 0.2 | 6.8 | 6.6 |
| Total net financial assets | 0.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
| Departmental net debt | 0.1 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
| Total non-financial assets | (0.3) | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| Departmental net financial position | (0.4) | (2.3) | (1.9) |
Future-Oriented Financial Statements
The future-oriented financial highlights presented within this Report on Plans and Priorities are intended to serve as a general overview of the Office of the Registrar's operations and its financial situation. These future-oriented financial highlights are prepared on an accrual basis to strengthen accountability as well as to improve transparency and financial management. These statements are based on future estimates and assumptions and they may differ from the subsequent actual results. Increases in these amounts can be explained by anticipated funding increases which are mainly intended to cover personnel costs. The variance between the figures above and the planned spending amounts provided in other sections of the Report on Plans and Priorities is mainly explained by such items as services provided without charge by other government departments and amortization. For more information, please refer to note 5 in the Future-Oriented Financial Statements.
The future-oriented financial statements can be found on the Supreme Court of Canada website.List of Supplementary Information Tables
All electronic supplementary information tables listed in the 2013-14 Reports on Plans and Priorities can be found on the Supreme Court of Canada website.
- Greening Government Operations;
- Sources of Respendable and Non-Respendable Revenue;
- Summary of Capital Spending by Program.
Tax Expenditures and Evaluations Report
The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures annually in the (Tax Expenditures and Evaluations publication). The tax measures presented in the (Tax Expenditures and Evaluations publication) are the sole responsibility of the Minister of Finance.
Section IV: Other Items of Interest
Organizational Contact Information
Supreme Court of Canada Building
301 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0J1
General Enquiries
Telephone: (613) 995-4330
Fax: (613) 996-3063
Email: reception@scc-csc.ca
Roger Bilodeau, Q.C. - Registrar
Telephone: (613) 996-9277
Email: reception@scc-csc.ca
Mary McFadyen - Deputy Registrar
Telephone: (613) 996-7521
Email: reception@scc-csc.ca
Barbara Kincaid - General Counsel
Telephone: (613) 996-7721
Email: Barbara.Kincaid@scc-csc.ca
Catherine Laforce - Director General,
Corporate Services Sector
Telephone: (613) 947-0682
Email: Catherine.Laforce@scc-csc.ca
Michel Gallant - Director, Judicial Support and Protocol Sector
Telephone: (613) 996-4841
Email: Michel.Gallant@scc-csc.ca
Listing of Statutory and Departmental Reports
Supreme Court Reports
Pursuant to Section 17 of the Supreme Court Act, the Registrar or the Deputy Registrar, as the Chief Justice directs, is responsible for the publication of the judgments of the Court in the Canada Supreme Court Reports, which include all reasons for judgment rendered by the Court in a given calendar year.
Legislation Administered
Supreme Court Act, R.S.C., 1985, C.S-26 as amended
Judges Act, R.S.C., 1985, C.J-1 as amended
Endnotes
- Supreme Court of Canada
- Government of Canada Planning and Performance Gateway
- Government Expenditure Plan and Main Estimates
- Supreme Court of Canada Future-Oriented Financial Statements
- Greening Government Operations
- Sources of Respendable and Non-Respendable Revenue
- Summary of Capital Spending by Program
- Government of Canada Tax Expenditures
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