I am pleased to present the Courts Administration Service (CAS) 2017–18 Annual Report highlighting CAS’s achievements this past year.

CAS’s mandate is to provide effective and efficient administrative services to the four federal superior courts of record—the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA), the Federal Court (FC), the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada (CMAC) and the Tax Court of Canada (TCC). In doing so, CAS contributes to the maintenance of an independent judiciary and supports access to justice for all Canadians, both of which are fundamental pillars of Canada’s justice system.

Consequently during 2017-2018, CAS has worked on several important initiatives, namely the relocation of the Québec City local office to a more modern facility and the establishment of a new office in Hamilton to meet the increasing needs of the Tax Court of Canada in that region. CAS also opened the first fully-equipped electronic courtroom in Toronto. We have pursued our efforts in security, translation, workplace wellness, and succession planning. We have also invested in technology to improve the reach and effectiveness of internal communications thus better engaging employees.

We welcomed with enthusiasm the investment announced in Budget 2018 to respond to the operational needs of the Courts, principally for resources dedicated to the Registries. Over the past several years, maintaining quality services to the Courts and their clients has been a considerable challenge for CAS given the increasing number and complexity of cases as well as the scarcity of resources. Without ongoing additional resources there was a real risk the judicial independence of the Courts and access to justice for Canadians could be compromised.

Going forward, we now need to secure crucial funding to implement a modern Courts and Registry Management System (CRMS), to meet requirements to translate court decisions in reasonable timelines, and to relocate CAS’s regional office in Montréal.

In closing, I would like to recognize the exceptional commitment of employees who, despite significant financial constraints and workload pressures, have delivered quality services to the Courts and their clients daily in all our offices across Canada. I would also like to extend my thanks and gratitude to the Chief Justices, the Associate Chief Justice as well as to all members of the Courts for their continued support.

Daniel Gosselin, FCPA, FCA
Chief Administrator