2019-20 Departmental Plan

Spending and Human Resources

Planned Spending

The Department of Justice’s total planned spending for 2019-20 is $717.9 million:

$194.9 million for Legal Services (27%);
$444.9 million for Justice System Support (62%); and
$78.1 million for Internal Services (11%).

As the primary provider of legal services to other federal government departments and agencies, the Department has a Vote-Netted Revenue Authority to collect and spend revenue received from the provision of such services. For the purpose of departmental reporting, these respendable revenues reduce total departmental authorities and expenditures in Vote 1 (operating expenditures). For comparability purposes, “planned spending” is net of respendable revenues.

Budgetary Planning Summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (Dollars)^{Table note i}
Core Responsibilities and Internal Services	2016–17 Expenditures^{Table note ii}	2017–18 Expenditures^{Table note ii}	2018–19 Forecast spending^{Table note iii}	2019–20 Main Estimates	2019–20 Planned spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2021–22 Planned spending
Legal Services	186,457,240	180,732,263	227,410,543	194,853,652	194,853,652	194,920,797	194,920,797
Justice System Support	416,312,567	430,621,197	451,301,748	444,923,893	444,923,893	445,030,079	443,030,079
Subtotal	602,769,807	611,353,460	678,712,291	639,777,545	639,777,545	639,950,876	637,950,876
Internal Services	87,049,639	95,648,611	93,531,195	78,105,514	78,105,514	77,676,082	77,676,082
Total	689,819,446	707,002,071	772,243,486	717,883,059	717,883,059	717,626,958	715,626,958

Table note i

Financial Resources for Planned Spending are based on Main Estimates and are net of respendable revenues. In addition, planned spending for 2019-20 and beyond exclude all Treasury Board central votes funding (such as severance pay expenditures, parental benefit expenditures, vacation credits payable upon termination of employment, and the Operating Budget Carry Forward).

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Table note ii

2016-17 and 2017-18 prior-year expenditures have been realigned from the Program Alignment Architecture (reporting structure until March 31, 2018) to the Departmental Results Framework (core responsibilities) for presentation and comparability purposes. Official results for those years are presented in the Public Accounts of Canada and the Departmental Results Reports of each department.

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Table note iii

Forecast as of December 31, 2018.

Return to table note iii referrer

Budgetary Planning Summary

The fluctuations in forecasted spending in 2018-19 compared to previous year expenditures and future years’ planned spending is partly explained by the impact of one-time retroactive compensation payments related to recently signed and ratified collective agreements.

The variance of $65.2 million between 2018-19 forecasted spending and 2017-18 spending is further explained by increases in contribution spending for programs such as criminal legal aid, immigration and refugee legal aid, the Victims Fund, and the Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund.

Retroactive compensation payments and funding the Department will receive from Treasury Board Central Votes are not included in future years’ planned spending, which explains the $54.4 million decrease between 2018-19 forecasted spending and 2019-20 planned spending. The planned spending for 2019-20 and future years reflects only funds already approved through the Main Estimates.

2019–20 Budgetary Planned Gross Spending Summary (Dollars)
Core Responsibilities and Internal Services	2019–20 Planned gross spending	2019–20 Planned revenues netted against expenditures	2019–20 Planned net spending
Legal Services	471,302,652	276,449,000	194,853,652
Justice System Support	444,923,893	0	444,923,893
Subtotal	916,226,545	276,449,000	639,777,545
Internal Services	128,656,514	50,551,000	78,105,514
Total	1,044,883,059	327,000,000	717,883,059

The Department’s Vote-Netted Revenue Authority (VNR) amounts to $327 million, with a corresponding offset to the Operating Budget. The VNR is notionally distributed between the Legal Services and Internal Services programs. The actual revenues distributed between programs could vary depending on numerous factors such as legal service rates approved by Treasury Board periodically, fluctuation in client departments’ demand for legal services, and the actual amount of revenues collected over or below the authority. As shown in the graph below, the forecasted amount of respendable revenues as of December 31, 2018, for the Department is expected to reach $330.2 million in 2018-19.

Departmental Vote Netted Revenue Trend Graph

Planned Human Resources

Human Resources Planning Summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (Full-Time Equivalents)
Core Responsibilities and Internal Services	2016–17 Actual full-time equivalents^{Table note iv}	2017–18 Actual full-time equivalents^{Table note iv}	2018–19 Forecast full-time equivalents^{Table note v}	2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents	2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents
Legal Services	3,047	3,044	3,130	3,130	3,130	3,130
Justice System Support	298	296	296	296	296	296
Subtotal	3,345	3,340	3,426	3,426	3,426	3,426
Internal Services	966	971	974	974	974	974
Total	4,311	4,311	4,400	4,400	4,400	4,400

Table note iv

Prior year FTEs shown have been realigned from the Program Alignment Architecture (reporting structure until March 31, 2018) to the Departmental Results Framework (core responsibilities) for presentation and comparison purposes. Official results for those years are presented in the Departmental Results Reports.

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Table note v

Forecast as of December 31, 2018.

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Estimates by Vote

Information on the Department of Justice Canada’s organizational appropriations is available in the 2019–20 Main Estimates .

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations

The Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations provides a general overview of the Department’s operations. The forecast of financial information on expenses and revenues is prepared on an accrual accounting basis to strengthen accountability and to improve transparency and financial management. The forecast and planned spending amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan are prepared on an expenditure basis; as a result, amounts may differ.

A more detailed Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations to the requested authorities, are available on Department of Justice’s website.

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations For the Year Ending March 31, 2020 (Dollars)
Financial information	2018–19 Forecast results	2019–20 Planned results	Difference (2019–20 Planned results minus 2018–19 Forecast results)
Total expenses	1,184,568	1,124,762	(59,806)
Total revenues	333,060	327,000	(6,060)
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers	851,508	797,772	(53,736)

Date modified:: 2022-05-16

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