In 2019–20, CAS will move ahead with an ambitious multi-year transformative agenda to support the Courts, inclusive of the implementation of a long-awaited new CRMS. An environmental scan conducted in 2019–20, which analyzed and examined the environment within which the Courts and CAS operate and identified emerging trends and best practices in court systems both within Canada and abroad, will inform several initiatives to facilitate the ease of access to justice for Canadians and businesses in the settlement of their disputes. Special consideration will be given to national and international best practices in court security, e-courts, service delivery, online dispute resolution models, flexible courtroom facilities, as well as alternate work arrangements for employees.

Human Resources and Workplace Pressures

CAS’s human resources bring significant value to its business operations and are essential and critical partners in the formulation of the organization’s corporate culture. Moving forward and building on plans to develop a workplace for the future, CAS will work with the Courts and its employees to explore and implement modern approaches to human resources management. Special attention will be given to the development of a change management plan and to addressing the anticipated increases in workload pressures expected to be generated by several Government of Canada policy initiatives. Specifically, National Security Programs under the Investment Canada Act aimed at combating tax avoidance/evasion, and asylum system protection programs are expected to increase the workload of the FC, which provides judicial oversight for Canada’s immigration system.

Indigenous Cases

According to Statistics Canada, in 2016 (last census), there were 1,673,785 aboriginal people living in Canada or 4.9% of Canada’s population. This represents a growth of approximately 42.5% since 2006. In keeping with this growing population, and to ensure access to justice for Canada’s indigenous peoples, help address the increasing number of cases and claims before the Courts, CAS will also develop efforts to improve its facilities and construct courtrooms for aboriginal proceedings in areas of high aboriginal populations such as Saskatchewan.

Data Protection – Keeping Up With Modern Approaches

Data security continues to take on a prominent role in this evolving technological world. Modern approaches aimed at continuing to avoid and mitigate incidents of malicious software, hacking, cyber-attacks, and human error, will continue to be incorporated in the electronic security plan for the Courts and CAS to ensure protection and privacy of the information. Through ongoing collaboration with the Courts, legal community, portfolio partners, central agencies, and other strategic partners, CAS will continue to ensure it responds effectively to emerging threats using advanced approaches.

Branding

Modern communication demands modern branding which includes steps to increase the visibility of the Courts and CAS for Canadians. Increased social media usage, characterized by continuously evolving shifts in how people seek, share, and use information will be explored. Nationally and internationally, courts, organizations, and businesses are taking on the challenge to keep pace with and engage their audiences in new and meaningful ways. To this end, in addition to the use of Twitter, and in collaboration with the Courts, CAS will continue to work on other initiatives such as updating and modernizing websites and signage. This rebranding exercise will also facilitate the continued engagement of CAS’s Next-Gen segment of its workforce, and help move this communication objective forward in meaningful and productive ways.