Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Results

Ministry Goals and their Linkage to the Five Great Goals

Through the Attorney General's unique role as law officer of the Crown, the ministry's key roles in the justice system and its responsibility for multiculturalism and immigration, the Ministry of Attorney General contributes to the achievement of all of government's Five Great Goals. A trusted system of justice based on the rule of law provides a strong foundation from which the economy can grow and society can flourish.

Stable and healthy business and personal relationships based on fairness and equality are fostered when everyone in the community has confidence that their relationships with others, including government, are based on a legal system that is just. This means a justice system that is fair, timely, secure and accessible. It also includes providing legal advice to government to ensure that the community has confidence that public administration is lawful.

A trusted justice system is necessary to attract investment and ensure continued economic development, directly contributing to the great goal of creating more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.

By supporting public safety and modern regulatory approaches, the criminal justice system assists in achieving goals that have a regulatory component. For example, environmental protection prosecutions, fairly and effectively conducted, will help achieve the great goal of leading the world in sustainable environmental management, with the best air and water quality and best fisheries management.

In addition, the ministry has responsibility for key legal frameworks that protect vulnerable populations in our province. These frameworks contribute to the great goal of providing the best systems of support for persons with disabilities, those with special needs, children at risk and, particularly, for seniors. They include human rights legislation, support for the Office of Children and Youth and the legal framework and administrative support for the Public Guardian and Trustee.

Finally, the ministry contributes to the great goal of a province that is the best educated and most literate on the continent by supporting public legal education, and through its responsibility for multiculturalism and immigration. Strategies that support the diversity of our population, maximize the social and economic benefits of immigration and assist in integrating immigrants into our society assist the economy and contribute to the great goal of creating more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.

Ministry Performance Plan Summary

Performance information in this Summary is divided into two sections. Part I focuses on the provincial justice system. Part II concerns multiculturalism and immigration.

Part I: Justice System

During the 2004 planning cycle, the ministry strengthened its strategic planning and developed a new corporate framework that supports public sector reform. Branch business plans were revised and then consolidated into a ministry business plan, which in turn became the foundation for this Service Plan. The Service Plan presents high-level strategic goals and objectives that are ministry priorities for the justice system over the next three years.

The plan includes performance measures that currently are most relevant to the objectives. As a result of the new corporate framework, the ministry must develop baseline data and/or benchmarks for many of the measures as noted throughout the plan. In addition, the ministry is developing indices of related measures that will serve as comprehensive performance indicators. Indices can better reflect the magnitude of ministry operations and the complexity and scope of the ministry goals. Examples of operational volumes that are driving the development of indices are shown in the table below.

Examples of Annual Volume in Ministry Operations
(Based on 2004/05 Data)

The ministry recognizes that our continued success and our achievement of the new corporate framework are possible only through the active participation and engagement of our employees. Our culture and values statements speak to the importance of our people. The ministry will continue to focus on employee development plans that encourage individual and organizational learning as well as development and performance and will continue to ensure that such plans align individual performance with ministry goals.

Key Strategic Priorities

For the next three years, the ministry will focus on several key strategic priorities in order to achieve the goals and objectives in this service plan.

1. Develop and implement strategies to promote public confidence in the administration of justice, including:
   • strategic law reform plans;
   • family and civil justice reforms;
   • Vancouver Community Court Pilot;
   • province-wide Integrated Criminal Justice Strategy in partnership with the police; and
   • E-government justice processes that expand public access to court services
2. Strengthen the legal framework that protects vulnerable and incapable adults and that enables effective individual planning for incapacity.
3. Undertake a comprehensive review of provincial legislation, operational policies and negotiation mandate to define changes that would be required to meet “honour of the Crown” requirements suggested by the courts.
4. Work with federal and provincial counterparts to examine sentencing options and guidance given to the courts by legislators in problem areas such as violent crime, habitual offenders and property crime.
5. Build on strategies to enhance social and economic benefits of cultural diversity and immigration, including:
   • strengthening language training and settlement services;
   • promoting multiculturalism through 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and the Asia-Pacific Initiative; and
   • promoting anti-racism.

The law has a profound practical effect on the legal rights, duties and liabilities of individuals and organizations in our society. Law and justice processes must keep pace with contemporary society. The ministry has a lead role in the debate and development of law that is just, principled, easy to understand and serves the public interest. The ministry also leads development of innovative justice processes that are current, fair, simple and cost-effective.

Law reform is a ministry priority. By engaging in strategies that promote and support law reform inside the ministry and among other justice agencies, the ministry assumes a central role in modernizing laws and justice procedures within the province. For example, the ministry is a key participant in, and provides resources to support, the B.C. Justice Review Task Force. The Task Force will recommend reforms through the Street Crime Working Group, the Family Justice Reform Working Group, the Civil Justice Reform Working Group and the Mega Trials Working Group.

The ministry is committed to continuous improvement of civil, criminal and administrative justice processes. To achieve this objective, the ministry continually works with justice participants to develop new and improved procedures inside and outside the courtroom to increase the effectiveness of the justice system.

Innovative legal services to government, including the use of alternatives to litigation for resolving disputes, support the ministry as a leader in reform. Government and the public benefit from increased efficiencies resulting from technological and administrative innovations in the delivery of legal services.

The criminal justice system is responsible for administering justice fairly, equitably and efficiently. Citizens expect the system to deliver justice on behalf of victims, accused and communities, while safeguarding the rights of the accused.

The ministry works with other justice participants to administer, and to contribute to public confidence in, the criminal justice system.

Performance indices are being developed to serve as key indicators for this goal.

Criminal matters must be processed within a reasonable period of time or charges against the accused may be dismissed. Timeliness enhances public confidence in the justice process, minimizes distress and disruption for victims and the accused and their families, and leads to efficient use of court and Crown resources. For example, in most cases, Crown counsel conduct pre-charge screening and provide full disclosure documents and an initial sentencing position to the accused or counsel prior to the first appearance.

This objective reflects the importance of fair process and balanced consideration of the interests of the victim, the accused, the witnesses, the families and the public. In determining whether cases should proceed to court, Crown counsel assess all charges reported to them using two criteria: first, whether there is a substantial likelihood of conviction, and second, whether a prosecution would be in the public interest.

Consistent and rigorous application of these standards contributes to the overall effectiveness of the criminal justice system. Careful charge assessments also remove a substantial percentage (17 per cent) of accused persons from the court process where appropriate. Four (4) per cent out of the 17 per cent are directed to Alternative Measures. This ensures that court and Crown resources are used for the cases that warrant full prosecutions.

The safety of all persons who attend or preside in court and the affordability of proceedings are critical to an effective criminal justice system serving the public interest. The ministry provides security training for court staff and promotes the use of innovative courtroom technology.

The civil justice system gives private citizens and organizations options for resolving their disputes and enforcing their rights and the obligations of others. An effective civil justice system fosters stable, healthy business and personal relationships. The civil justice system is broader than the civil courts and includes alternative dispute resolution and the administrative justice system.

The ministry's role in the civil justice system includes providing efficient court services, supporting access to justice, facilitating the resolution of disputes through processes that are most appropriate to the circumstances, and maximizing the performance of all components of the system.

Performance indices are being developed to serve as key indicators for this goal.

An effective civil justice system offers a range of alternatives to the traditional court system to support parties in resolving their disputes. Services must be accessible and affordable to parties who require them.

Timely, accessible and efficient civil court processes are necessary for the court to be an effective option for parties in dispute. Public confidence is eroded if the process becomes too costly, cumbersome or bureaucratic.

This goal supports the Attorney General's unique role in government to see that public affairs are administered in accordance with the law. High-quality legal advice and representation help ensure that government services are delivered effectively.

This objective supports the administration of public affairs in accordance with the law and ensures that government is effectively represented before tribunals and the courts. The ministry's Legal Services Branch has made significant progress in reconciling costs with government requirements for legal advice.

This objective reflects the importance of anticipating, reducing and managing legal risk as part of the stewardship and sound management of public resources.

Part II: Multiculturalism (and Immigration)

The ministry manages the planning, funding, implementation and administration of anti-racism, multiculturalism, and immigrant settlement programs. Working in close partnership with third-party organizations and communities, the ministry plays a pivotal role in helping newcomers adapt to life in Canada and in assisting communities to support multiculturalism and combat racism.

As responsibility for immigration is shared between the federal and provincial governments, the ministry is also responsible for negotiating and managing bilateral immigration agreements; working across ministries to ensure policy, programs and services are consistent; and developing policy to ensure the province's immigration interests are effectively represented and met.

As immigration continues to play an important role in the province's social and economic development, it has also created a dynamic, open and diverse society that has enriched the social and cultural fabric of B.C. Through leadership, partnerships, strategic influences, and program development and delivery, the ministry coordinates federal, provincial and public-private activities to better meet the province's interests in anti-racism, multiculturalism, settlement and immigration.

Enabling and expediting the settlement of immigrants directly benefits immigrants and their local communities. The ministry will build community capacity to support new immigrants and refugees through settlement, language training and adaptation programs.