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Section II: Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome     

A. Strategic Outcome

To provide the best decision-making environment for the Supreme Court.

B. Program Activity by Strategic Outcome

Program Activity: Process hearings and decisions
2009-10 Financial Resources
($ millions)
2009-10 Human Resources
(FTEs)
Planned
Spending
Total
Authorities
Actual
Spending
Planned Actual Difference
28.6 31.2 29.3 201 201 0

 

Expected Results

Performance Indicators

Targets

Performance Status

Performance Summary

Cases processed without delay

Number of months between filing of application for leave and  decision on application for leave 14 weeks Met all Leave applications were decided, on average, fourteen weeks after filing.

Number of months between hearing and judgment

 

6 months

Mostly met

Appeal judgments were rendered, on average, seven months after hearing.

 

Expected Results

Performance Indicators

 

Targets

Performance Status

Performance Summary

 Sub-Activity 1: Management of Court Cases

Access to Court services and information

% of lawyers and unrepresented litigants that were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with Registry services

95%

Met all

Lawyers and unrepresented litigants expressed satisfaction with Court services.

Courtroom systems reliability

Number of hearing disruptions for technical reasons per year

0

Met all

No disruptions to hearings for technical reasons.

 

 Expected Results

Performance
Indicators

Targets

Performance Status

Performance Summary

 Sub-Activity 2: Library Services

Access to reference information

 

% of factual/ bibliographic requests for reference assistance responded to within service standard of 1 working day 95% Met all

 

A December 2009 survey of Library users who had submitted extensive and substantive research requests indicated that the Library exceeded its target of 95% satisfaction, and that 100% of the respondents got their answers in time. A June 2009 facilitated consultation with outgoing Law Clerks showed that satisfaction for the Library’s targeted products and services remains extremely  high, while recommendations were received to improve training and client communications.

 

% of complex/ substantive requests for  reference assistance responded to by date required by client 95%

% of users that were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with library services

95%

 

 Expected Results

Performance Indicators


Targets

Performance Status

Performance Summary

Sub-Activity 3: Process Payments to the Supreme Court Pursuant to the Judges Act

Timely and accurate processing of payments pursuant to the Judges Act

 

% of payments processed within service standards

95%

Mostly Met

The SCC achieved a level of 83% for the processing of  such payments pursuant to the Judges Act within the service standard of 5 days. This represents an improvement from 77% in the prior year. Although there is always room for improvement,  we have to take in consideration other factors that can slow down this process.  Efforts will continue to achieve our target of 95%.

% of errors on payments

2%

Mostly met

An independent file review revealed that 6.45% of claims contained errors. The value of errors represented only 1.7% of total value sampled.

Performance status:
Exceeded: More than 100 per cent of the expected level of performance
Met all: 100 per cent of the expected level of performance
Mostly Met: 80 to 99 per cent of the expected level of performance
Somewhat Met: 60 to 79 per cent of the expected level of performance
Not Met: Less than 60 per cent of the expected level of performance

C. Benefits for Canadians

The Supreme Court of Canada is Canada’s highest court of law.  It is Canada’s final general court of appeal whether for  individuals or governments.  The Supreme Court of Canada stands at the apex of the Canadian judicial system, and as such is a fundamental component of the Canadian structure of government.  Because of this position, the strategic outcome of the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada, namely “to provide the best decision-making environment for the Supreme Court”, contributes to the federal government’s Government Affairs outcome area.

D. Performance Analysis

Cases processed without delay

The Office of the Registrar maintains monthly statistics on the Court's caseload, backlog and average time lapses between key events in a case's history. It also produces a public annual statistical report which can be found at http://www.scc-csc.gc.ca/stat/index-eng.asp.

Average Time Lapses (in months) 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Between filing of application for leave and decision on application for leave 5.2 5.4 4.3 5.7 3.9
Between date leave granted (or date notice of appeal as of right filed) and hearing 11.1 12.5 11.4 12.2 10.5
Between hearing and judgment 5.4 5.8 5.6 5.6 5.1

 

Average Time Lapses (in months) 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Between filing of application for leave and decision on application for leave 3.7 3.7 3.4 3.5 3.2 3.2
Between date leave granted (or date notice of appeal as of right filed) and hearing 9.4 9.1 7.7 9 8.9 7.6
Between hearing and judgment 4 5.2 5.9 6.6 4.8 7.4

In 2009, the Court maintained the average time lapse for deciding leave applications and improved the time lapse between the date leave was granted (or a notice of appeal as of right was filed) and the hearing of a case to seven and a half months.  There was an increase in the time lapses between hearing and judgment, with some judgments being rendered over seven months after the hearing of the appeal.  The increase in this time lapse is attributed to the growing complexity of many of the appeals in reserve.  The overall impact of the increase was mitigated by a reduction in pre-hearing delays.  In 2009, cases were disposed of eighteen months after filing, compared to seventeen months in 2008. 

Access to Court services and information

Litigants, the public and the media access Court services through the Registry or the Court website.  The public face of the Supreme Court of Canada is its Registry.  Clients attending the Registry are encouraged to fill out a comment card in regard to their satisfaction level relating to various services offered and with respect to staff. Some clients attend to pick up judgments or review a case file, but most will come to the Registry to file documents or obtain information about bringing a proceeding before the Supreme Court of Canada. Registry staff must provide timely, accurate and easily understood information, and the comments received reflect positively on Registry performance in areas such as timely service, staff professionalism and overall level of satisfaction. Additional comments emphasize staff friendliness and helpful assistance.

General enquiries and requests for Court information by the public are increasing, resulting from a better-informed and more demanding public, as well as from the captivating issues debated in Court cases. In 2009, the Court Records staff continued to respond to requests for information or documents from Court files in both electronic and paper format.  To make the processing of requests more efficient, a form for access to court records was developed and made available on the Court’s website.  This streamlines the process of requesting access to Court case records, photographs, videos and webcasts by members of the public.

Leave applications filed by self represented litigants increased in 2009. All self represented litigants who contact the Court were provided with an information and instruction guide that includes samples of fill-in-the-blank applications for leave, response and reply books that a self represented litigant can complete and file with the Court. If a self represented litigant has access to the internet, he/she is referred to the Supreme Court of Canada website where they can access an information portal that allows them to download PDF versions of the sample books.

Percentage of leave applications filed by self represented litigants

Years

Leave applications filed by all litigants

Leave applications filed by self represented litigants

% filed by self represented litigants

2000 642 117 18%
2001 621 117 19%
2002 523 106 20%
2003 550 92 17%
2004 568 114 20%
2005 544 103 19%
2006 506 115 23%
2007 602 149 25%
2008 529 128 24%
2009 545 143 26%

Library collection

During the comprehensive review of its Collection Development Policy in 2008-09, the Library focussed on eliminating duplication between several print and electronic journal titles in the collection, as well as the cancellation of material which will now only be collected in electronic format, because the print version is not mandatory for long term access.  When print journals were available in a stable licensed electronic collection, had not circulated in print, and had also not been cited in the Supreme Court Reports, cancellation was recommended.  The objective of the exercise was to streamline the collection, reduce duplication between print and electronic, and liberate funds to enable the purchase of additional documents and texts.

The effect of close to $82,000 in such cancellations has been a short-term alleviation of the space issues facing the physical collection, and a shift in our ability to meet the Court’s research needs from the print collection to the electronic collection.  Based on a citation analysis of the references cited in the Supreme Court of Canada decisions released in 2009, the number of citations available in our print collection decreased slightly; however, when we factor in the combined access to internet, database subscriptions and interlibrary loans, overall access to cited materials increased slightly.  The Library collection is able to meet the information needs of the court over 98% of the time. 

In 2009-10, the Library awarded a contract for software to manage its electronic resource collection, pursuant to a Request for Proposal.  The implementation of the software will enable the staff to collect usage statistics, manage license terms and conditions and administer password control, trials and user feedback related to electronic resources.

E. Lessons Learned

Information Management

The deployment of the Court’s electronic document management system and the continuing transition to the use of electronic documents, records and publications has brought to light the growing need to put in place a supportive Information Management framework and governance structure.  With a re-aligned governance framework, work on the Court’s IM strategy, policy standards and applications will proceed more smoothly. 

Business Continuity Planning

Gaps and vulnerabilities identified in recent reviews and assessments heightened the need to enhance the Court’s security program.  As an institution of the Continuity of Constitutional Government, it is imperative that the Court’s Business Continuity Program be fully developed and maintained at an acceptable level of readiness.  The level of effort required to implement a comprehensive BCMP was underestimated.  A lack of resources and turnover in the security services branch also contributed to the delay in implementing the program.  As a result, the Office of the Registrar has committed to enhancing its overall security program to better meet the needs of the Court and align it with the new Policy on Government Security.