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The Year in Review: 2020-21
Courts Administration Service
Supporting the delivery of justice for all Canadians
2020-21 Annual Report
In 2020—21, four priorities served as the focal point for our efforts—pandemic management, transition to digital courts, the workforce of the future and national court facilities and courtrooms. First and foremost, we continued to innovate to offer quality, timely services that are responsive to the evolving needs of the Courts and those that appear before them, ultimately providing improved access to justice for all Canadians. The following summarizes what we accomplished during the fiscal year.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the Courts and CAS’s operations during 2020–21. We adapted our service delivery model to best support the Courts given the risks posed by the pandemic and the public health restrictions in effect across the country. Our response to COVID-19 involved implementing a multi-layered health and safety approach, in all our court facilities and courtrooms across Canada utilizing a combination of mitigation strategies concurrently. We safeguarded the health of everyone entering our facilities and courtrooms across Canada while ensuring access to justice and continuing court operations as effectively and as efficiently as possible. Our efforts ensured the Courts could safely conduct in-person hearings and proceedings, as required throughout the pandemic. Many of our employees across the country worked on-site and alongside the members of the Courts to ensure the Courts remained operational and resilient throughout. The dedication of these employees is nothing short of exemplary.
We established measures to mitigate the potential transmission of COVID-19 and protect those working or accessing court services and our court facilities and courtrooms in-person. Across the country, we added protective barriers in courtrooms and in workspaces where physical distancing was not possible, enhanced the cleaning of facilities and courtrooms, and distributed personal protective equipment to employees and those accessing court or registry services. Our measures reflected the requirements of applicable federal, provincial, and territorial occupational health and safety legislation to minimize the risk of introducing, transmitting and spreading the virus. They also aligned with the expert health advice received from the Public Health Agency of Canada; best practices and guidelines of the Action Committee on Court Operations in Response to Covid-19; as well as advice and guidance from Treasury Board Secretariat and the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Government of Canada. An independent firm conducted site visits in Ottawa and all regional offices to validate these measures.
Comprehensive guidance on the application of preventative measures and protocols were drafted. A COVID-19 workplace preventative measures guide was distributed to managers and employees. A guide for in-person court operations was also published on the CAS website. This guide outlined the procedures and protocols that apply to all members of the public attending in-person hearings or visiting the registry counter.
Our measures were actively monitored and adjusted continuously in keeping with the evolution of the pandemic and the latest advice from public health agencies across Canada. Modifications were also reflected in the guidance documents to provide managers, employees and the public with the most current and up-to-date guidance and information.
CAS pivoted to operating virtually with the majority of our employees successfully working and providing services through various digital means. In addition, we supported the Courts to prepare for and conduct hearings, case management, settlement conferences and other matters virtually.
To enable employees to be productive in a digital environment, we supplied them tools required to operate under this new normal. Laptops, mobile phones, related accessories and software were distributed to facilitate remote work. IT infrastructure was increased to accommodate virtual operations. Platforms such as MS Teams and Zoom were implemented to allow employees across the organization to communicate and collaborate virtually.
We undertook several initiatives to deliver IT solutions to the Courts, legal counsel and litigants that facilitated the digital management of court business. The electronic submission of court documents was enhanced with the release of a new e-filing portal on the FC website and improvements made to the TCC’s e-filing portal. An online payment option was also introduced as part of the FC e-filing. We also expanded our e-trial toolkit and implemented the use SharePoint to allow litigants and the Courts to share and access digital court files, including during virtual proceedings.
We also expanded the Courts' capacity to accommodate virtual hearings and trials. Two new fully digital e-courtrooms were constructed in Ottawa for the FC and CMAC, and several upgrades were made to facilitate the integration of digital audio equipment in courtrooms. Wi-Fi was installed at each of the four Courts and CAS headquarters in Ottawa. A planned second phase, to permit access for guest and personal devices in court facilitates and courtrooms, was delayed due to COVID-19.
Our multi-year project to implement a new CRMS saw significant progress during the fiscal year with preparatory work to define system requirements and activate the procurement process. A request for information from industry helped identify potential solutions for the new CRMS and formulate a plan for additional industry engagement to evaluate requirements against products available on the market before finalizing a request for proposal.
54% of all court documents were filed electronically in 2020–21.
The digitization of in-coming court documents was prioritized. During the fiscal year, active and priority files at the TCC were converted to digital format. Digitization of court documents is essential for the more efficient management of the large volume of paper documents received by the Courts and support a smooth transition to digital courts and the implementation of the new CRMS.
E-courtrooms are equipped with integrated IT infrastructure to support virtual hearings and trials, including video conferencing, digital screens, computer workstations, internet connectivity, and digital audio recording systems.
We assisted CMAC and the TCC with the redesign and reconfiguration of their public-facing websites with new user-friendly interfaces and updated content. The TCC website included a “chat with us” function where website visitors could live chat with a registry officer to have their questions answered in real time. As well, a second release of the FC’s Electronic Judicial Calendar containing additional functionally was completed to assist with managing the scheduling of proceedings and the assignment of members of the Court.
In 2020–21, we also advanced our priority to build an innovative, agile and high-performing organization to best support the evolving requirements of the Courts and Canadians. Our initiative to modernize the registries’ operational training model advanced with the help of a project steering committee established to lead the effort. Furthermore, the training strategy for the FC was also initiated, and CAS worked to document the current learning path and to determine future learning requirements for a new CRMS.
A new learning management system was introduced for CAS. This system allows employees to manage their learner files autonomously. The first phase of the launch enabled employees to track all courses related to mandatory training required for their position. Additional functionality in subsequent updates will allow employees to tailor learning and development to their career paths and aspirations.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to unexpected challenges and opportunities that necessitated a rapid shift in service delivery, business processes and work environment. Since many employees had not worked remotely before the pandemic, CAS offered training and online resources throughout the year to help employees adapt and succeed. Specialized training and resources were made available to managers to help them effectively support their teams in a work environment affected by the pandemic.
Mental health remained a priority in 2020–21 and gained increased importance with the pandemic. As a result, we delivered several training courses, information sessions, newsletters, and bulletins to employees on improving mental health, dealing with stress in a healthy way, self-care practices, and being resilient. In addition, virtual events were organized to promote mental health, such as online meditation and check-in sessions. Advice and guidance were also provided to managers to help them identify the signs of mental health and engage in an open dialogue with employees.
A Mental Health Calendar was launched on the CAS Intranet providing employees with choices of events, training, and services offered monthly to promote mental health and wellbeing.
Several Canadian and worldwide events in 2020–21 shed light on systemic racism and its effects on racialized and marginalized individuals. Following engagement and dialogue with employees, an anti-racism champion for CAS was appointed, and we developed and implemented FACES: Anti-Racism Strategy 2020- 2025. This strategy outlines our commitment to address systemic racism, unconscious biases and other forms of discrimination. In support of the strategy’s implementation, a Chief Administrator Anti-Racism Consultation and Action Committee was established. Additionally, we advanced the development of a diversity and inclusion plan to foster a representative workforce at CAS reflective of the Canadian population.
Our Anti-Racism Strategy is entitled FACES as it aims to promote the multitude of diverse “faces” within CAS.
Work was also initiated to develop a multi-layer strategic plan for CAS. This plan will be an integral tool in helping to shape our service and business transformation. It will guide our efforts to provide innovative, timely and efficient services that are responsive to the evolving needs of the Courts and those that appear before them, ultimately improving access to justice for all Canadians. During the fiscal year, consultations with the Courts and senior managers from the organization’s key business areas were conducted to define the plan’s scope, objective, and critical initiatives. The strategic plan will be further refined and finalized over the next fiscal year and, once approved, will be implemented for 2021—26.
Our facilities projects and plans were challenging during COVID-19 given public health restrictions and global supply chain issues. Additionally, it was necessary to prioritize efforts to ensure our court facilities and courtrooms across Canada remained safe to protect those working or accessing services in-person. Nevertheless, several projects were completed to ensure national court facilities and courtrooms are modernized, equipped, secure and accessible.
In Ottawa, new judicial chambers for the FC were built, and three new courtrooms, including two e- courtrooms, were constructed for the FC and CMAC. We acquired and established additional office space for the TCC in Ottawa to accommodate registry and judicial employees ensuring appropriate physical distancing for those working on-site. Our Calgary court facilities were renovated to improve the security posture and accessibility in our courtrooms and at the registry counter.
In addition, we worked during the fiscal year to plan the long-term facilities requirements of the Courts to ensure they have the requisite capacity and national presence to offer the level of services required by Canadians across the country. An analysis was also conducted to inform the prioritization of funding for projects identified in our National Accommodations Strategic Plan. We collaborated with Public Services and Procurement Canada to plan the construction a state-of-the- art federal courthouse in Montréal by 2027 and participated in a national working group established to review the future of the judicial precinct area in the National Capital Region.
As with prior fiscal years, in 2020–21, we continued to assess and mitigate potential risks that may impact the business operations of the Courts and CAS. In particular, special attention was given to five critical areas of risk.
The inefficiency of legacy systems to meet current needs, growing public demands for digital services, susceptibility of system failure, and potential of IT security incidents drove this risk in 2020–21. Mitigation strategies to address this risk were increased as we implemented immediate digital solutions enabling the Courts to conduct business digitally during the pandemic. As well, we progressed with our efforts to implement a new CRMS to provide an integrated, user-centric digital solution for the effective management of court business, self-service to litigants and improved access to justice.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unexpected rapid shift in service delivery, business processes and the work environment. We supported employees in adapting to these changes and deployed tools to enable them to function in a digitalized environment (laptops, mobile phones, MS Teams and Zoom); disseminated employee communications and promoting resources on workplace wellness, mental health and resiliency; and supported managers to lead their teams in the new working environment effectively.
During the last fiscal year, there were many competing demands on our limited reference-level. Off-cycle funding was secured to cover expenses related to measures implemented to respond to COVID-19. However, there were other unforeseen, non-discretionary expenses that will continue to cause strain on existing budgets as our operating and business model has changed due to the pandemic.
With a large number of employees working and handling information remotely due to COVID-19, mitigation measures to protect our information of business value were substantially increased. In part, this risk was mitigated through the continued rollout and onboarding of staff to the corporate document management system to allow for better storage, management and access to corporate documents. Long-term options for the digitization of court records were developed, and a pilot project to test proposed digitization processes and collect metrics was implemented. Training on best practices for handling classified information remotely was also provided to employees and members of the Courts.
In 2020–21, CAS continued to take action to ensure the security of its IT infrastructure. These included providing enabling infrastructure and tools to support safety, confidentiality, integrity and privacy of information. Several other security projects and activities were also implemented to enhance CAS’s IT security posture and mitigate potential IT risks.
Maintaining the physical security of the organization’s infrastructure and personnel is always a priority for CAS. Last fiscal year, we continued to adapt our strategic risk-based approaches to security management, as well as made enhancements to the physical security of facilities where required.