Departmental Results Report 2020–21

Supplementary Information

Raison d’être

The Courts Administration Service (CAS) was established on July 2, 2003, with the coming into force of the Courts Administration Service Act, S.C. 2002, c. 8 (CAS Act). CAS’s raison d’être is to provide administrative services to four 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). Placing administrative services at arm’s length from the Government of Canada safeguards judicial independence while enhancing accountability for the use of public money. CAS recognizes the independence of the Courts in the conduct of their own affairs and aims to provide each with quality and efficient judicial, registry, and administrative services.

Mandate and role

As stated in section 2 of the CAS Act, CAS is mandated to:

  • facilitate coordination and cooperation among the FCA, the FC, the CMAC and the TCC for the purpose of ensuring the effective and efficient provision of administrative services;
  • enhance judicial independence by placing administrative services at arm’s length from the Government of Canada and by affirming the roles of Chief Justices and judges in the management of the Courts; and
  • enhance accountability for the use of public money in support of court administration while safeguarding the independence of the judiciary.

Operating Context

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the Courts and CAS’s operations during 2020–21. The organization was forced to adapt its 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. The organizational responses to COVID-19 included a multi-layered health and safety approach in all court facilities and courtrooms across Canada and utilizing various mitigation strategies concurrently. These measures helped safeguard the health of everyone entering the facilities and courtrooms nationally while maintaining access to justice and court operations as effectively and as efficiently as possible. Many employees across the country worked on-site and alongside the members of the Courts to ensure the Courts remained operational and resilient throughout while other employees worked remotely. These efforts ensured that the Courts could safely conduct in-person hearings and proceedings, as required throughout the pandemic.

Gender based analysis plus

Table 1:

Institutional GBA+ Capacity

In 2020-21, the Courts Administration Service’s (CAS) Strategic Planning and Reporting team ensured that GBA+ considerations were factored into budget proposals and Treasury Board Submissions while the Human Resources team analyzed people management data for GBA+ analysis. In 2020-21, the CAS Chief Administrator (Deputy Head) directed the review of roles of all Champions to include representation for GBA+. The revised list of positions was planned to take effect 2021-22.

In addition, CAS created a new position of Senior Advisor, Diversity & Inclusion / Anti-Racism within its Human Resources Division. The position is slated to be staffed no later than March 31, 2022. In part, this new position will provide GBA+ advice and guidance to decision-makers on programs, training, coaching services, and access to gender-diversity data in support of informed decision-making concerning the diverse Canadian populations.

Table 2: Gender and Diversity Program Results

Core Responsibility: Administration Services for the Federal Courts
E-Courts, Judicial Services, Registry Services, Security
Target Population:

All Canadians–These programs benefit all Canadians by enabling access to justice. Canadians who bring matters before the federal courts represent a spectrum of Canada's diverse society, with cases from individuals, businesses, organizations, and government agencies.

Distribution of Benefits:
by Gender Men blank blank blank blank Women
by Income Level Low blank blank blank blank High
by Age Group Youth blank blank blank blank Senior
GBA+ Data Collection Plan:

In 2022-23, a comprehensive assessment of the data requirements to assess the impact of the court programs will be conducted and a framework will be develop to facilitate the ongoing and more comprehensive collection and analysis of GBA+ data.

Table 3: Program Links to Quality of Life Framework
Prosperity Health Environment Society Good
GovernanceFootnote i
Core Responsibility: Administration Services for the Federal Courts
E-Court blank blank blank blank
Judicial Services blank blank blank blank
Registry Services blank blank blank blank
Security blank blank blank blank
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