Annual Report 2024-2025

Message from the Chief Administrator and Chief Executive Officer

‟The Courts we serve are pillars of Canada’s democracy, and our work of supporting access to justice and upholding the rule of law is essential.”

DARLENE CARREAU
CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR
& CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I am honoured, in my fifth year as Chief Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of the Courts Administration Service (CAS), to reflect on the past fiscal year and the journey we have taken together. CAS is a small but vital department, providing arm’s-length support to the 4 national Courts: the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada, and the Tax Court of Canada. Our work plays a pivotal role in facilitating access to justice, preserving public confidence in Canada’s Court system and upholding the rule of law – cornerstones of our democracy.

This past year was marked by 2 competing dynamics: the excitement of advancing transformative initiatives, and the stark reality of doing so with extremely limited resources. While we celebrated progress in key areas, much of our focus was on navigating financial constraints, which meant making difficult choices to contract operations while preserving direct services to the Courts. These responsive measures provided temporary relief, but deepened the impact of our chronic underfunding and underscored the urgency of addressing our structural financial challenges.

In the face of these pressures, CAS made meaningful strides in the digital modernization of the Courts. We stabilized the Courts’ legacy systems, strengthened cybersecurity and expanded e-courtroom capacity across Canada – critical steps toward a more accessible and resilient justice system. We also advanced the development of CAS’s first Digital Strategy, in partnership with the 4 national Courts, which will guide transformation towards a more digital, responsive, accessible and human-centred national Courts system. In parallel, we completed planning and explored solution options for the Digital Courts Modernization project, which will replace and digitize aging Court case management systems.

At the same time, we continued to advance plans to expand and improve Court facilities across Canada to better meet the needs of all Canadians. This included starting construction on the new national Courts judicial complex in Montréal, a major milestone in our infrastructure renewal efforts.

In a context of rising demands and fiscal restraint, despite efforts to streamline operations, adjust our workforce and find efficiencies to stabilize Court operations, we required a temporary reallocation of funds from the National Courts Facilities Modernization Program to meet financial obligations and balance our operating budget. These funds must be reimbursed by 2028–29, with significant implications for our people and our long-term viability.

CAS’s financial situation is only the latest in a series of challenges for our organization. It compounds the challenges of recent years: the pandemic, the surge in immigration cases, the Canada convoy protest and the federal public service strike. The cumulative impact of these pressures continues to be felt across CAS. The imminent end of incremental funding for bilingual publication of decisions will bring a further challenge to our ability to meet official language obligations.

Despite the various challenges over the past 5 years, I am struck by the collective resolve that carried us forward. This moment invites reflection not simply on what has been accomplished, but on how far we have come in shaping the future of our institution and the national Courts. From the outset, I envisioned a modernized, more accessible and more resilient Court operations. Our initial efforts focused on addressing immediate priorities of closing long-standing gaps and building the foundation for lasting change. Those steps created the stability and momentum needed to embark on the deeper, more strategic transformations now underway.

With the launch of the Digital Courts Modernization project, the historic $250 million investment in Court infrastructure, and the “One Court, One Registry” model standardizing registry operations for each of the 4 Courts across Canada, we have charted a clear path forward. The work ahead is ambitious, but the foundation is strong.

I wish to express my deepest gratitude to the Chief Justices, Associate Chief Justices and members of the judiciary for their ongoing collaboration and support. Together, we continue to uphold access to justice, the independence of the Courts and the public’s trust – principles that are fundamental to our democracy.

Above all, I want to thank the exceptional staff and teams across CAS. Your professionalism, dedication and resilience have been the driving force behind every achievement. You have risen to every challenge with integrity and purpose, and I am profoundly proud and grateful for your contributions.

I am tremendously privileged to serve as Chief Administrator. I remain deeply confident in the strength of our institution and the extraordinary people who make it thrive. Together, we have laid a strong foundation and the momentum is real. While financial pressures and uncertainty remain, the imperative of our mission has never been clearer. The Courts we serve are pillars of Canada’s democracy, and our work of supporting access to justice and upholding the rule of law is essential. The foundation we have built together is strong, and the progress we have made reflects our shared commitment to innovation, resilience and service. With continued collaboration and determination, CAS will navigate future challenges and continue to evolve in ways that strengthen our justice system and serve Canadians with integrity and purpose.

With sincere appreciation,

Darlene H. Carreau LL.B.
Chief Administrator and Chief Executive Officer

About CAS

The Courts Administration Service (CAS) was established in 2003 with the coming into force of the Courts Administration Service Act. CAS provides services to the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada and the Tax Court of Canada. CAS was designed to provide these services at arm’s length from the Government of Canada, affirm the roles of chief justices and judges in the management of the Courts, facilitate coordination and cooperation among the Courts to ensure effective and efficient provision of administrative services, and enhance accountability for the use of public money while safeguarding the independence of the judiciary.

Working with the judiciary, CAS’s services facilitate access to justice by enabling the public to bring disputes and other matters before the Courts, and enables timely decisions in areas critical to the nation’s broader objectives, including national security, immigration, taxation, intellectual property, and Aboriginal law, thereby supporting economic growth and nation-building efforts.

A well-functioning, efficient, and accountable judicial system – one that is sustainably resourced and independent – is foundational to Canada’s sovereignty, prosperity, and social order. CAS plays a key role in preserving and enhancing confidence in Canada’s judicial system, the rule of law and, ultimately, democracy.

The Year in Review

Despite ongoing financial pressures, CAS continued to make meaningful progress in supporting the operations and long-term sustainability of Canada’s 4 national Courts. Our efforts focused on modernizing digital infrastructure, enhancing physical Court facilities, and laying the groundwork for future transformation – always with the needs of the Courts and Canadians at the centre.

CAS received additional targeted funding in 2023–24 and 2024–25 to advance critical priorities, specifically: the Strengthen Service and Digital Capabilities to Modernize Canada’s Federal Courts (SSDC) initiative, the National Courts Facilities Modernization Program (NCFMP), and the funding to modernize CAS's already-existing translation operations program. This targeted funding represents almost half of CAS’s total approved voted funding. The remainder represents regular operating funding for the Courts, which is under significant pressure.

In fact, 2024–25 was a particularly challenging year for CAS, as the Courts faced increased complexity and volume in caseloads, most notably in immigration, where filings have quadrupled compared to pre-pandemic levels. Funding has not kept pace with this surge of cases nor with new legal obligations. The expiration of Asylum-related funding, without renewal, and the insufficiency of temporary funding related to the amendments to the Official Languages Act, further compounded the financial strain on CAS’s regular operating funding to support the Courts’ operations.

• In Budget 2019, to bolster Canada’s asylum system, the federal government permanently increased the complement of Federal Court judges from 36 to 39. However, the funding to operationally support these judges – $3.6 million per year – was time-limited and ended in March 2023. Since then, CAS has been forced to absorb these costs into its regular operating funding.
• Amendments to the Official Languages Act created a new requirement to make available simultaneously, in both official languages, final decisions, orders or judgments of “precedential value”, starting in June 2024. Partial, temporary funding was obtained through Budget 2024; however, with an existing backlog of 2000 decisions awaiting translation and revision, and despite implementing new technologies, CAS is not able to sustain its operations without the appropriate level of resources to meet these new legislative requirements, particularly as the temporary allocated funding comes to an end in March 2027.

To address mounting financial pressures, CAS conducted an internal strategic review to identify and prioritize the most urgent needs, with the goal of enhancing efficiency and streamlining operations. This led to the implementation of difficult but necessary measures, including the termination of term positions, a staffing freeze, and preparations for the elimination of certain indeterminate roles in the upcoming fiscal year. Operating expenditures were also reduced in targeted areas such as translation services, training, travel, professional services, and protection services. Despite these efforts, CAS was compelled to temporarily reallocate funds from the NCFMP to meet its financial obligations for 2024–25. These funds must be reimbursed by 2028–29.

While CAS was able to temporarily address its immediate operating pressures in 2024–25, the current operating financial model is not sustainable in the long term and poses risks to the organization’s ability to meet its mandate to serve Canada’s national Courts effectively. CAS will continue to experience risks and vulnerabilities that, left unaddressed, will impact CAS’s ability to provide necessary Court operations and services to the judiciary as well as the latitude to address other longstanding risks, such as data for decision-making, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. CAS's capacity to mitigate these risks is constrained under current circumstances, making them more likely to manifest, resulting in further Court delays and growing backlogs in the coming years.

Despite our budgetary issues, CAS remained adaptable, forward focused, and dedicated to delivering value to the Courts we serve. We consistently challenged ourselves to be more efficient in our operations, more innovative in our thinking, more resilient in the face of change and financial uncertainty, and more proactive in solving problems. As a result, we not only adapted – we built. In 2024–25, we laid down measures that form a solid foundation for the transformation we are continuing to drive across the organization. In 2024–25, CAS:

• Advanced the development of CAS’s first Digital Strategy (2025–27) in partnership with the 4 national Courts. By embracing modern digital platforms, automation, and human-centric design, the strategy provides a shared vision for more accessible Court services, efficient operations, and strengthened public trust, while setting the foundation for major initiatives such as the Digital Courts Modernization (DCM) project.
• Incrementally modernized and stabilized critical and at-risk legacy systems and advanced the DCM project by finalizing scope, exploring solution options, and engaging with users to develop a modern, integrated, and resilient digital Court system.
• Continued to deliver on the multi-year NCFMP, a historic investment that requires careful planning, strong governance, and sustained collaboration at all levels. The landmark accomplishment in 2024–25 was beginning construction on our new, dedicated Montréal judicial complex, which is scheduled for completion in 2027.
• Modernized CAS registry training offerings for the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, and the Tax Court of Canada, by creating updated training modules for registry officers, promoting consistency and shared learning, and ensuring practical, procedural training is provided to both new and existing staff based on documented procedures.
• Advanced a multi-year plan to use temporary funding to meet new legislative requirements under the Official Languages Act by targeting improvements to translation processes and services and initiating the use of artificial intelligence-assisted translation tools to support efficiency and consistency in making Court decisions available in both official languages.
• Initiated work to develop a human resources (HR) strategic plan, to identify strategic HR priorities, inform investment decisions, and support workforce development, which is expected to result in a finalized plan during 2025–26.
• Held roundtable discussions on Values and Ethics with employees which informed the renewal of the CAS Code of Conduct.

Our work is anchored in our enduring 5 strategic pillars:

1. Digital Courts

Expected outcomes:

• Digital services and solutions that best leverage technology to meet the needs of the Courts, users of the justice system and our people.
• Modern, stable and resilient digital services and solutions that adapt to emerging and evolving needs.
• Data integration that enables key insights on operations.

This year we made targeted investments in digital modernization, including stabilizing legacy systems, strengthening cybersecurity, and expanding e-courtroom capabilities across the country. These improvements are essential to ensuring the Courts can continue to operate securely, efficiently, and accessibly in an increasingly digital environment.

A major milestone was the advancement of CAS’s first Digital Strategy. The strategy was published in May 2025 and endorsed by all 4 Courts. This strategy will guide our collective efforts to build a more responsive, accessible, and resilient national Courts system. In parallel, we completed planning and began exploring solution options for the DCM project, which will replace and digitize aging Court case management systems – ensuring the Courts are equipped with modern tools to meet the evolving needs of litigants and the public. As one of our top priorities, the Strategy charts our path forward to deliver a more digital, responsive, and resilient Court system.

In 2024–25, CAS:

• Continued to incrementally modernize and stabilize critical and at-risk legacy systems to ensure availability and performance in support of Court proceedings. For example, we are accelerating the decommissioning of legacy systems by advancing the Proceedings Management System Improvement project, which will provide interim system improvements in advance of the transformation planned with the DCM project.
• Advanced the DCM project by finalizing scope, exploring solution options, and engaging with users to work towards a modern, integrated platform for managing Court proceedings, filings, and registry operations.
• Leveraged cloud-based platforms (e.g. Microsoft 365) to improve service management, workplace collaboration and productivity.
• Advanced a memorandum of understanding with Shared Services Canada to formally recognize judicial independence in the procurement and use of digital technologies, including cloud-based solutions.
• Strengthened cybersecurity and disaster recovery capabilities by increasing cybersecurity capacity, implementing enterprise-grade protection such as layered security, and operationalizing a Security Assessment and Authorization process that integrates recommendations from the Canadian Judicial Council and Government of Canada requirements.

Looking to the future

In early 2025–26, CAS obtained authorities to launch the DCM project. This project will implement a modern, integrated platform for managing Court proceedings, filings, and registry operations. It will enable CAS to deliver the required functionality on a common bilingual platform, while respecting the distinct rules, processes, and records of each of the 4 Courts, and also automating processes driven by Court rules and procedures, enhancing efficiency, consistency, and service delivery.

2. Our People

Expected outcomes:

• A highly skilled, engaged and digitally ready workforce.
• A workplace culture of belonging, where employees embrace our core values and work together as one team.
• An organization that is diverse, inclusive, equitable and anti-racist.

In a year marked by challenge and change, our people remained the heart of our success. Their resilience, curiosity, and commitment to learning fostered a culture of trust, inclusion and innovation, which are essential qualities in supporting the operations of Canada’s national Courts.

To strengthen this foundation, we expanded training and development opportunities, including in critical areas like cybersecurity and digital literacy and leadership. These investments are designed not only to build individual capacity, but to ensure CAS continues to attract, develop, and retain top talent, ensuring we grow stronger together and better serve the Courts.

Recognizing the need for a more strategic approach to workforce planning, CAS initiated the development of a HR strategic plan. This plan will identify key HR priorities, guide future investment decisions, and support long-term workforce development. It will be finalized in 2025–26 and serve as a roadmap for building a resilient, skilled, and future-ready organization.

In 2024–25, CAS:

• Refreshed its policy suite by actively engaging staff in the renewal of key documents, including the Directive on Conflicts of Interest, Code of Conduct, and Values and Ethics framework. Through roundtable discussions on Values and Ethics, employees contributed valuable insights that shaped the updated policies. The result is a modern, relevant, and clearly articulated statement of our values and expected behaviours designed to inspire and guide all employees in fostering an ethical and respectful workplace.
• Introduced a new external designated recipient for harassment complaints, enhancing confidentiality and trust in our reporting processes. Additionally, we established the position of Senior Officer for Disclosure of Wrongdoing and Fraud Risk Management, strengthening our organizational capacity to address misconduct and safeguard integrity.
• Delivered key initiatives under the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, including making training on unconscious bias/inclusion/anti-racism, Indigenous learning and reconciliation, and disability inclusion mandatory for all employees and managers; and creating a single resource hub for information, learning material and tools and points of contact related to employment equity, accessibility, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism.
• Implemented modern and agile strategies to recruit, retain and develop highly skilled employees in registry and judicial services.
• Developed a standardized suite of registry training modules integrated into the CAS departmental learning system, to ensure consistent delivery, tracking and continuous improvement of registry knowledge and practices.
• Launched the Federal Court Registry Knowledge Center, a centralized digital hub that provides easy access to essential Registry materials, tools, guides, and resources, enhancing efficiency and knowledge sharing across registry teams.
• Introduced enhanced onboarding and training programs to support the successful integration of new registry employees, equipping them with the tools and knowledge needed to contribute effectively from day one.
• Modernized core Court registry processes for immigration proceedings at the Federal Court, which represent 90% of case volume, including the development of comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures.
• Strengthened CAS’s cybersecurity workforce by attracting and retaining specialized talent to protect judicial information and systems, ensuring the Courts can operate securely and with confidence in an increasingly complex digital environment.
• Recruited and retained highly skilled jurilinguists with deep expertise in judicial translation and the use of neural translation as a tool supporting the timely and accurate publication of decisions in both official languages.
• Delivered a comprehensive cybersecurity awareness program for CAS employees and Members of the Courts, reinforcing best practices and building a shared understanding of cyber risks. This initiative has enhanced our collective ability to safeguard sensitive information and maintain the integrity of Court operations.
• Implemented a policy to provide direction to registry employees and management on taking proactive action on the management of difficult interactions, and on prioritizing employee safety and well-being, while ensuring fair and equitable services for all litigants.

Looking to the future

CAS will be strategically supporting our people in this time of fiscal restraint through a sustainable and integrated HR Strategy and investing in the engagement, retention, and development of employees to meet the current and future needs of the Courts.

3. Court Facilities

Expected outcomes:

• Modern, accessible, secure and digitally enabled court facilities that reduce our environmental impact, optimize court business and best meet the needs of the Courts, users the justice system and our people.

We continued to advance Court infrastructure renewal, including the expansion and improvement of Court facilities across Canada. Notably, construction began on the new national Courts judicial complex in Montréal, a flagship project that will provide modern, inclusive, and secure spaces for judicial proceedings and public access to justice.

At its core, Court facilities modernization is about access to justice, ensuring that our facilities are functional, accessible, and adaptive to changing needs. CAS remains committed to both current delivery and long-term planning, advancing existing capital projects while actively shaping future phases of the modernization plan and securing the investments needed to support them.

The NCFMP is a multi-year, multi-phase program aimed at transforming Canada’s national Court infrastructure. Phases 1 and 2 are fully funded and currently underway. These phases include the modernization of existing facilities in Winnipeg, Toronto, and Ottawa (200 Kent Street and 90 Sparks Street), as well as the construction of new judicial complexes in Victoria, Saskatoon, Oakville, Montréal, and Halifax.

The program focuses on improving accessibility, security, and integrating modern courtroom technologies, including advanced audio-visual systems.

In 2024–25, CAS:

• Completed schematic design for the new Montréal judicial complex, with construction launched in Spring 2024. Completion is scheduled for 2027.
• Initiated design work for projects in Victoria, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa (200 Kent), and Halifax.
• Continued planning for facilities in Saskatoon and Ottawa (90 Sparks).
• Developed a full courtroom mock-up including integrated technology. Feedback from Members of the Courts, registry and litigants is informing updates to CAS’s National Design Standard and a national e-courtroom technology standard, enabling consistent and expanded digital functionality across courtrooms.
• Upgraded more than 15 courtrooms in Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa, and Vancouver with enhanced audio-visual systems, new displays, microphones, interpretation support, and hybrid hearing capabilities via Zoom and Teams.
• Delivered targeted security enhancements across the facility portfolio to ensure a safe and secure environment for the Courts.

Looking to the future

Investments in the secure Court facility are required as it is currently operating at capacity and needs expansion to address increased case volumes, to ensure independence of the Courts, and to enable activities supporting national security. Beyond these needs, planning work has started for the third phase of the NCFMP that will identify priorities to further improve Court facilities promoting safer, more accessible and more efficient access to justice for Canadians. We are not only improving the physical environments in which justice is delivered, but also advancing accessibility, and digital readiness, ensuring that all Court facilities are equipped to meet the needs of the Courts and Canadians today and into the future.

4. Service Excellences

Expected outcomes:

• Client-centric services that are consistent, high-quality, reliable, timely, and digitally enabled, provided in both official languages.
• Modernized practices, tools and processes that continually improve, and make optimal use of resources and technology.
• Services that consistently meet or exceed service standards and expectations.

Service excellence is central to CAS’s mandate and vision. We remain steadfast in our commitment to becoming a national and international leader in modern judicial administration. Over the past 5 years, CAS has prioritized service excellence as a means to improve access to justice for Canadians, working diligently to ensure our services are client-centric, high-quality, and dependable.

In 2024–25, CAS:

• Pursued operational efficiencies and internal reallocations to address financial pressures through ongoing service optimization.
• Completed a comprehensive service inventory, documenting the full range of Court and registry services provided to Members of the Courts and Court users – establishing a baseline for performance and continuous improvement.
• Introduced AI-assisted translation tools to enhance efficiency and consistency in making Court decisions available in both official languages.
• Revised the Policy on Translation, Revision, and Publication, clarifying service standards for simultaneous publication requests and the translation and revision of final decisions.
• Developed business intelligence tools, including dashboards and a centralized data warehouse, to provide real-time operational insights that support decision-making, resource allocation, and performance measurement.
• Enhanced e-filing portals for the Federal Court of Appeal and the Federal Court, improving client-facing information and guidance to simplify online document submission and feedback collection.
• Strengthened resilience and service continuity by updating business continuity plans and operational contingency plans, and by enhancing procedures for threat and risk assessments.

Looking to the future

As part of its commitment to service excellence, CAS is strategically reviewing its services, operations, and organizational structures to identify opportunities for greater efficiency, modernization, and impact.

Key initiatives will include enhancing accessibility, strengthening service delivery, and improving the management of complex litigant interactions with the registry. A notable initiative is the pilot project to modernize the registry phone system, which aims to streamline and centralize inquiry handling across Canada. This project will improve consistency, responsiveness, and operational efficiency, while laying the groundwork for a more integrated and client-focused registry for each of the Courts.

These efforts reflect CAS’s strategic intent to build a resilient, adaptive, and high-performing service model that supports excellence and reinforces public trust in Canada’s justice system.

5. Governance and Management Excellence

Expected outcomes:

• Readily available, accurate and reliable data that drives service excellence and performance improvement, and better supports efforts to ensure appropriate levels of funding to meet the needs of the Courts, users of the justice system and our people.
• A refined government framework that facilitates and supports strategic, transparent direct setting, decision making and accountability that more effectively engages the judiciary, and encourages coordination and cooperation among the Courts.

In an environment of growing demands and constrained resources, strategic leadership and sound governance are essential. CAS continues to strengthen its governance and management practices to ensure accountability, resilience, and informed decision-making, which are core to our mandate of enhancing transparency and responsible stewardship of public funds in court administration.

In 2024–25, CAS:

• Completed a comprehensive review of internal and external governance structures, ensuring executive governance is grounded in clear authorities, decision-making pathways, and accountabilities. Implementation of recommendations is ongoing into 2025–26.
• Delivered a Data Strategy that positions data as a strategic asset, outlining a roadmap to modernize data management, address current challenges, and foster a culture of data-driven decision-making across CAS and the Courts.
• Introduced an Information Management Strategy to strengthen how information is organized, protected, and accessed. The strategy reinforces judicial independence, safeguards Court information, and enhances transparency and efficiency in administrative services.
• Matured planning and reporting practices, including regular strategic reviews of progress, risks, and mitigation strategies – embedding a culture of continuous improvement and informed planning.
• Established a governance framework for digital modernization, ensuring disciplined oversight, risk management, and accountability throughout project delivery to protect investments and maintain alignment with strategic priorities.
• Conducted a cybersecurity tabletop exercise to test and refine CAS’s emergency response plans, strengthening organizational preparedness and resilience against digital threats.

Looking to the future

CAS will continue to strengthen the data and information management foundation that supports the work of the Courts. The implementation of standardized policies, retention and disposition instruments, and consistent governance practices will enhance the integrity and protection of judicial information, reducing risks related to loss, unauthorized access, or mismanagement.

Ongoing advancements in data stewardship will further enable the Courts to benefit from accurate, trusted, and well-governed data. Enhanced metadata and interoperability practices will improve the secure sharing and retrieval of information, while safeguards will ensure the continued protection of sensitive or high-value judicial data. These efforts will reinforce judicial independence, enable evidence-based decision-making, and advance the modernization priorities of the judiciary. They will also serve as critical enablers and accelerators of the DCM project and the broader Digital Strategy, driving their successful implementation.

Service Volume Insights

This section presents an overview of workload trends over the past 5 fiscal years. This data provides insight into how demands on resources, staff, and operational capacity are evolving. This historical perspective offers insight into shifting demands and supports future planning and resource allocation.

Below are key data reflecting workload of judicial support and registry services in support of the Courts. Additional statistical information is available on each of the websites, found here: Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada and the Tax Court of Canada.

While the trend upward is apparent across the board, an important trend that warrants additional attention is emerging.

In 2024, 24,667 new immigration proceedings were commenced in the Federal Court – approximately 4 times the annual average of 6,203 cases initiated between 2015 and 2019. The volume of cases continues to rise, with the Court expecting between 31,000 and 33,000 immigration filings in 2025. Filings across other types of proceedings have also increased by 68% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The Federal Court has implemented measures to address this situation. Specifically, it has amended its Consolidated General Practice Guidelines and Consolidated Practice Guidelines for Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection Proceedings to reflect its commitment to dealing with these challenges and to improving the efficiency of its procedures.

CAS continues to face challenges related to organizational capacity, processes, and tools necessary to manage the increasing immigration workload effectively. To address these pressures, CAS is actively advancing information technology initiatives, including the implementation of robotic process automation, to enhance operational efficiency and streamline processes.

Workloads are growing in both size and complexity, putting increasing strain on our systems. While process improvements help, they are not enough. To keep pace and remain effective, we need meaningful, sustained investment that strengthens our capacity and ensures long-term resilience.

Financial Statement Highlights

The highlights presented in this section are drawn from CAS’s financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2025. These financial statements are prepared on an accrual basis and have been prepared using Government of Canada accounting policies, which are based on Canadian public-sector accounting standards.

Condensed statement of operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2025 (dollars)

The 2024–25 planned results are those reported in the future-Oriented Statement of Operations included in the 2024–25 Departmental Plan.

Expenses: CAS’s total expenses were $168,620 thousand in 2024–25 ($162,005 thousand in 2023–24). The increase of $6,615 thousand (4%) is mainly due to an increase in salaries and employee benefits, rentals, accommodation, information and repairs and maintenance, offset by decreases in professional services, amortization of tangible capital assets, material and supplies, machinery and equipment, transportation and telecommunications, and miscellaneous expenses.

• Salary and employee benefits (62% of total expenses) amounted to $103,931 thousand ($95,542 thousand in 2023–24). The increase of $8,389 thousand (9%) in personnel expenditures were principally driven by a net increase in salaries and wages (including allowances) of $7,346 thousand due to an increase in the number of employees to deliver on SSDC, NCFMP – Phase 1 & 2 initiatives, as well as on the funding to modernize CAS's already-existing translation operations program. Other increases included $700 thousand in employer contributions to employee benefit plans, $172 thousand in employer contributions to the health and dental insurance plans and $171 thousand in provision for severance benefits.
• Operating (38% of total expenses) totaled $64,689 thousand ($66,463 thousand in 2023–24). The decrease of $1,774 thousand (3%) is mainly attributable to a decrease of $1,377 thousand in professional and special services, $1,223 thousand in amortization of tangible capital assets, $208 thousand in material and supplies, $157 thousand in machinery and equipment and miscellaneous other items. The decreases were partly offset by increases of $677 thousand in rentals, $395 thousand in accommodations, $355 thousand in information services and various expenses incurred on behalf of Government.

Revenues: The majority of CAS’s revenues are earned on behalf of Government. Such revenues are non-respendable, meaning that they cannot be used by CAS, and are deposited directly into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF). CAS’s gross revenues were $3,569 thousand ($3,598 thousand in 2023-24), and net revenues were $0 thousand ($15 thousand in 2023–24).

Condensed statement of financial position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2025 (dollars)

Total net liabilities: CAS’s total liabilities were $24,723 thousand as of March 31, 2025 ($26,076 thousand as of March 31, 2024). The decrease of $1,353 thousand is the result of a decrease in deposit accounts, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, partly offset by an increase in vacation pay and compensatory leave and in employee future benefits.

• Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (47% of total liabilities) amounted to $11,709 thousand as of March 31st, 2025 ($11,915 thousand as of March 31, 2024). The decrease of $206 thousand is due to a decrease in accounts payable to other government departments and agencies, primarily related to common service delivery and in accounts payable with external parties. The decreases were partially offset by an increase in accrued liabilities mostly due to the timing of the last pay period of the year (salary accrued).
• Deposit accounts (26% of total liabilities) amounted to $6,479 thousand as of March 31, 2025 ($8,018 thousand as of March 31, 2024). CAS maintains 2 Specified Purpose Accounts, one for deposits by litigants appearing before the Federal Court of Appeal or the Federal Court, and the other for those appearing before the Tax Court of Canada. These 2 accounts were established pursuant to Section 21.1 of the Financial Administration Act under Order in Council P.C. 1970 4/2 and Order in Council P.C. 1970-300, respectively. Pursuant to an order of the Court, amounts are held in trust and eventually released with accrued interest. Because payments into or out of the accounts are determined by the Courts, depending on the particular case, the balance is unpredictable and may vary significantly from year to year.
• Vacation pay and compensatory leave (20% of total liabilities): CAS’s vacation pay and compensatory leave year-end balances were $4,956 thousand as of March 31, 2025 ($4,716 thousand as of March 31, 2024). The increase of $240 thousand is the result of an increase in Full Time Equivalent.
• Employee future benefits (6% of total liabilities): CAS’s employee future benefits balance was $1,579 thousand as of March 31, 2025 ($1,426 thousand as of March 31, 2024). The employee future benefits represent the value of the severance benefits earned by employees, which is calculated using actuarial information and a percentage provided by the Treasury Board Secretariat. The $153 thousand increase in the employee future benefits liability is the result of increases in salaries offset by the severance rate reduction of 0.04% (from 2.50% to 2.46%).

Assets: CAS maintains both financial and non-financial assets as follows:

Financial assets:

• Due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (33% of gross assets)
• Accounts receivable and advances (5% of gross assets)

Non-financial assets:

• Tangible capital assets (58% of gross assets)
• Prepaid expenses (3% of gross assets)
• Inventory (2% of gross assets)

Total net financial assets: This is comprised of financial assets net of accounts receivable held on behalf of Government. Accounts receivable held on behalf of the Government of Canada consist primarily of accounts receivable from other governmental organizations. The decrease of $812 thousand is due to a decrease of $719 thousand in amount due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and $592 thousands in accounts receivable and advances (on behalf of Government). The decrease is offset by an increase of $499 thousands in accounts receivable and advances.

Departmental net debt: This provides a measure of the future authorities required to pay for past transactions and events.

Total non-financial assets: The increase of $4,605 thousand is mainly due to an increase of $4,901 thousand in tangible capital assets related to facilities renovation projects under the NCFMP, and installation of informatics equipment, an increase of $205 thousand in inventory, offset by a decrease of $501 thousand in prepaid expenses. The increase in inventory is a question of timing due to Court information technology equipment purchased in March and installed in April 2025. Prepaid expenses are expenses paid in one fiscal year for services that span more than one fiscal year, such as annual renewal of software licenses or memberships.

Departmental net financial position: This represents the net resources (financial and non-financial) that will be used to provide future services to the Courts and thereby to benefit Canadians.

Further financial information

The Financial Statements and Financial Statement Discussion and Analysis are available online at: https://www.cas-satj.gc.ca/en/pages/publications/dpr.