2021-22 Departmental Plan
From the Minister
I am pleased to present the Department of Justice Canada’s 2021-22 Departmental Plan.
This report provides information on the Department’s key priorities, as well as Justice Canada’s planned initiatives and activities for 2021-22. It highlights our objectives and future deliverables, and sets the course to help guide our efforts over the next fiscal year.
As Canada and the world continue to grapple with the impacts of COVID-19, the Department of Justice Canada will work alongside others to support the Government’s efforts to fight the pandemic and build a stronger and more resilient Canada. The Department’s contributions will include providing legal services to federal departments and agencies in areas such as public health and safety, vaccinations, including work with Indigenous communities, procurement, assisting Canadians in need, as well as domestic and international economic recovery efforts.
The Department will continue to support the Action Committee on Court Operations in Response to COVID-19 in restoring Canadian court operations in a way that prioritizes the health and safety of participants and upholds the justice system’s fundamental values. Together, we will work to overcome this global crisis and build back a better and more resilient Canada.
We will also support a broad range of government priorities, as we improve, adapt and modernize our justice system to better meet the evolving needs of all Canadians. We will continue building a justice system that is fair, effective, and accessible to all Canadians – especially for those who face systemic barriers. We will take steps to ensure that the criminal justice system is used where it is needed to keep people safe, but not where it would be discriminatory or counterproductive. This means introducing legislation and making investments to address systemic inequities at all points along the criminal justice continuum from first contact through policing to sentencing.
Strengthening and renewing our relationship with Indigenous peoples continues to be a key focus for the Department. We will support the Government’s commitment to advancing reconciliation through renewed nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government relationships – based on the recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership. We will further our work with Indigenous partners, including rights-holders and organizations, and other groups on key initiatives including legislation with respect to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and advancing the implementation of the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Our work also includes contributing to a National Action Plan in response to the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Collaboration with our partners will be key to ensure that our actions are informed by the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
The Department will support the Government’s continued commitment to building the Canada we are all striving for. We will work towards a legal framework and a justice system that reflect the values that define us as a country; where all Canadians are treated with the same respect, dignity and consideration, free from discrimination, and can enjoy equal entitlement to the protections of the law. We will continue to focus on promoting access to justice and to assist in tackling social issues that have a direct impact on the lives of Canadians, including senior and elder neglect and abuse, Indigenous justice and rights, LGBTQ2+ rights, gun control, privacy rights, and more.
The Department will also continue to innovate and find new ways to deliver easy to use, seamless, digitally enabled services that put the needs of Canadians first. As part of these efforts, the Department is reviewing Canada’s Privacy Act to ensure it keeps pace with the effects of both technological change and evolving Canadian values. We are committed to ensuring that our laws meet the needs of Canadians and protect the vulnerable from online harm.
While the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to present challenges across Canadian society, Justice Canada will work to implement its plans and vision in the context of this global crisis. However, even in the face of great obstacles, we remain steadfast in our commitments – to ensuring a fair, effective, relevant and accessible justice system for all Canadians, especially for those facing systemic barriers.
As Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, I encourage Canadians to read this 2021-22 Departmental Plan to learn more about what we are doing to deliver on mandate commitments. I have full confidence that the Department will continue to serve all Canadians in an open and transparent way, helping them gain a greater understanding and confidence in their justice system.
The Honourable David Lametti, P.C., Q.C., M.P.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
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