Published plans and annual reports 2023–2024: Ministry of the Attorney General

Ministry overview

Ministry’s vision

The Ministry of the Attorney General works to deliver an accessible, responsive and resilient justice system that inspires public confidence and upholds the rule of law.

To achieve this, the ministry is committed to transforming the justice system, prioritizing its critical front-line services and delivering more services remotely and online to ensure that vulnerable individuals and families get the help they need when and where they need it.

Ministry programs

The Ministry Administration Program provides the overall ministry administration, including leadership and business support services. This item includes: the offices of the Attorney General, Parliamentary Assistant and Deputy Attorney General, the Corporate Services Management Division and the Communications Branch.

The Prosecuting Crime Program is responsible for the prosecution of all criminal offences under the Criminal Code of Canada and other federal and provincial statutes to inspire public confidence and upholding the Rule of Law. This essential service includes representing the Crown in all criminal matters, including prosecuting criminal cases before all levels of courts, representing the Crown on criminal appeals, intervening in appeals raising issues of criminal concern, providing legal advice to the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General in all criminal law matters, and providing solicitor-client privileged advice to police, upon request. The Criminal Law Division is Ontario’s independent prosecutorial service. It is a fundamental principle of the justice system that crimes be prosecuted independently to ensure a just, fair and civil society.

The Policy, Justice Programs and Agencies Program includes the Policy Division and the Indigenous Justice Division.

The Policy Division is responsible for developing legislation, regulations and policy initiatives to respond to diverse issues in areas such as civil, family, human rights, administrative and commercial law, as well as regulation of the liquor, gaming, horseracing and retail cannabis sectors. It is also responsible for policy oversight and partnership building relating to the Ministry's regulatory and operational agencies, adjudicative tribunals and programs. In addition, the Division administers ministry public appointments to all agencies and adjudicative tribunals, manages the notaries and commissioners’ program that provides direct service delivery to non-lawyer / non-paralegal notary and commissioner applicants, and provides administrative support to the two judicial appointment advisory committees that make recommendations to the Attorney General for judges and justices of the peace appointments in Ontario.

The Indigenous Justice Division (IJD) provides justice policy, legal and program advice to the Attorney General and leads and oversees the development of new programs and services to support Indigenous people involved with the justice system. The Division’s mandate is to repair the relationship between the ministry and Indigenous communities within Ontario. The division acts as the ministry’s primary contact for Indigenous leaders, partner ministries and stakeholders on broad Indigenous justice matters and works to foster new collaborative, respectful and meaningful relationships between the ministry and Indigenous Peoples.

The Legal Services Program includes both the Civil Law Division and the Office of Legislative Counsel.

The Civil Law Division provides legal services in all civil law matters to the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, all ministries and many agencies in the Ontario Public Service. The Division supports the Attorney General in his duties as Chief Law Officer of the Crown, which includes conducting litigation for and against the Crown, ensuring that the rule of law is maintained and that Cabinet decisions are legally and constitutionally valid, and advising on matters of law connected to the government’s operations and priorities.

The Office of Legislative Counsel is responsible for legislative drafting in English and French. This includes drafting bills for the Government and members of the Legislative Assembly and drafting regulations. The Office also provides related legal advice and editing and publishing services, including providing the content for the e-Laws website.

The Court Services Program is responsible for the administration and functioning of criminal, civil, family and small claims courts in Ontario. These services comprise of three main components: court administration, judicial services and court construction. Court administration and judicial services provide judicial, courtroom and court operational support, and are divided into three key program areas: Court and Client Services, Program Support Services and Judicial Services. Court Construction, which is delivered by Corporate Services Management Division (Facilities Management Branch), manages funding for new courthouses and large-scale renovations of existing court facilities to support a justice system that is modern, secure and accessible.

The Victims and Vulnerable Persons Program delivers vital services to victims of crime and their families, children, and vulnerable persons. Victims of crime and their family member(s) are supported through the Ontario Victim Services Branch, which offers a wide array of support services delivered both directly and through ministry funded community agencies. Mentally incapable adults receive personal and property guardianship services from the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee, and the Office of the Children's Lawyer protects the personal and property rights of children before courts and tribunals. The Office for Victims of Crime, a statutory advisory agency to Ontario’s Attorney General, is also included in this program.

The Political Contribution Tax Credit is a political contribution credit for contributions made to an Ontario party, constituency association or candidate registered under Ontario's Election Finances Act.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario regulates the liquor, gaming, cannabis and horse racing sectors in Ontario in accordance with the principles of honesty and integrity, and in the public interest.

Key performance indicators

The ministry is engaging in a multi-year process to review and refresh its KPIs to ensure they fully reflect the ministry’s key priorities, are reflective of stated outcomes, and have appropriate target values and rationales.

 As part of this process, the ministry will enhance its KPI reporting by revisiting and strengthening, where required, the target rationales and statistical calculations for ministry KPIs and ensuring a strong relationship between targets and baselines. This will ensure that the ministry is able to monitor strategic priority areas and improve service to the public, while supporting effective decision-making and measurement of key investments.

The ministry has met or exceeded targets for eight of the sixteen ministry KPIs. For another three KPIs, targets must be established, but values for all three KPIs are above the baselines. One additional KPI is new for this year. The remaining four KPIs are not achieving their targets. These four are related to reducing regulatory burden, administration of penalties and fines, and the incidence of violent crimes.

Where the ministry met or exceeded targets, progress was seen across a range of KPIs, including cases resolved through alternative methods, administrative efficiencies, courtrooms upgraded with video technology, increased online service transactions and satisfaction with digital services.

 The ministry will continue to work on improving ministry KPIs with a focus on reviewing KPIs to ensure alignment with strategic priorities and long-term goals.

 Performance data for the last two years for the ministry’s KPIs are as follows:

2023–2024 Strategic plan

The Ministry of Attorney General’s is continually assessing how best to deploy resources and improve, modernize and transform processes to deliver our services.

In 2023–2024, the ministry will continue to implement the Justice Accelerated strategy and the criminal case backlog reduction strategy. The multi-year Justice Accelerated strategy will deliver the most significant upgrade to justice services in Ontario’s history to better meet the evolving needs of the people of Ontario. The criminal case backlog reduction strategy will reduce and resolve cases before the courts while keeping Ontarians safe.

The ministry is taking a multi-pronged approach to transforming antiquated systems through implementation of Lean practices to review all processes and implement an end-to-end digital case management system, making investments to establish a sustainable justice system to ensure flexibility in a modern workforce that will be able to adjust for future caseload pressures.

The ministry will continue to monitor and review its KPIs to ensure they reflect the ministry’s vision and high-level strategic priorities.

Currently, the ministry has met or exceeded targets for eight of the sixteen ministry KPIs. For three KPIs, targets must be established, but values for all three KPIs are above the baselines. One additional KPIs is new for 2023–2024. The remaining four KPIs are not achieving their targets. These four are related to reducing regulatory burden, administration of penalties and fines, and the incidence of violent crimes. The ministry will continue to work on improving its KPIs in 2023–2024.

The ministry’s key priorities are categorized into the following main areas:

Courts modernization

The Courts Digital Transformation initiative is the most significant single step forward in the digital evolution of justice in Canada, replacing outdated and time-consuming paper-based procedures with an intuitive and streamlined online platform to manage cases, documents and schedules.

The ongoing Virtual and Hybrid Hearings initiative expands and improves courtrooms’ capabilities for holding remote hearings across the province. This initiative significantly improves access to justice by removing barriers to attending court events, reduces costs for the clients and optimizes the allocation of resources within the ministry by enabling courtrooms with audio and visual technology.

The ministry will work to address the increasing and unsustainable recruitment and retention challenges in frontline Court and Client representative positions to ensure

sustainable court operations now and in the future. Court staff are an integral part of

Ontario’s justice system. Without them, court hearings cannot proceed, matters cannot be scheduled, and legal documents cannot be filed, impacting the lives of people who need to access the justice system.

Backlog

The COVID‑19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented backlog of criminal cases in the province’s courts. The ministry has taken action to address this issue and ensure the protection of public safety by launching a criminal case backlog reduction strategy. The criminal case backlog strategy has made progress in reducing and resolving cases before the courts while keeping Ontarians safe.

Building on this progress, the ministry will shift to continuous improvement in alignment with Lean best practices and remains committed to ensuring Ontario’s justice system is more resilient and sustainable.

The ministry will also continue to address ongoing recovery challenges to preserve and restore stakeholder confidence by addressing the case backlog at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). The ministry will also provide additional resources at the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) to facilitate the faster resolution of disputes leading to increased housing supply.

Prosecution

The ministry’s top operational risk is the potential for lost cases in the criminal context. R v. Jordan requires that cases be heard within strict time limits or the accused is free from prosecution, including cases of murder and sexual assault. Protecting these at-risk cases from collapse is not a temporary pandemic related crisis, and is also in the best interest of the public.

The ministry will continue to invest in Ontario’s prosecution service to effectively case manage and prosecute the increased volume and complexity of gun, gang and serious violent criminal cases arising in part from the important increase in investments in police-led initiatives across the province.

Courthouse modernization

The ministry’s capital planning approach continues to be brought to life by the “courthouse of the future”. As part of the Justice Accelerated strategy, the ministry is using new design thinking and state-of-the-art technology to support more versatile and responsive ways of delivering justice services, manage demand, and reduce the need for in-person visits to courthouses. Courthouse modernization opportunities are being tested now in Halton region through the Milton Courthouse User Experience (CUE) Hub Plus project and the functional program for a planned addition.

Table 1: Ministry planned expenditures 2023–2024 ($M)

Historical trend analysis data

Changes in the operating and capital expenditures are the result of approvals received in the 2023–2024 Strategic Planning (SPP) process, as well as prior year impacts.

Table 2: Combined operating and capital summary by vote

Agencies, boards and commissions reporting to the Ministry

Ministry organizational chart

• Hon. Doug Downey
  Attorney General
  • Catherine Stewart
    Executive Assistant & Chief Legal Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General

  • David Corbett
    Deputy Attorney General

    • Judy Phillips
      Director, Communications
    • Catherine Emile
      Justice Cluster Chief Information Officer & Assistant Deputy Minister Justice Technology Services
    • Derek Thompson
      Head, Solutions Branch

     

    • Beverly Leonard (A)
      Assistant Deputy Attorney General Court Services Division
      • Babi Banerjee
        Director, Corporate Support Branch
      • Vaia Pappas
        Director, Operational Support Branch
      • Jaimie Ann Lee
        Director, Program Management Branch
      • Directors: Court Operations
        Rosanna Giancristiano (Tor)
        Mena Zaffino (CER)
        Ann Gendron (E)
        Debbie Dunn (CW)
        Angela McGonigal (A) (W)
        Cathy Kulos (NE)
        Jennifer Rob (NW)
      • Shannon Chase
        Executive Legal Officer, Court of Appeal
        • Jamal Salim (A)
          Director Judicial IT office
        • Norine Nathanson
          Executive Legal Officer, Superior Court of Justice
      • Kathleen Murphy
        Executive Legal Officer, Ontario Court of Justice

     

    • Randy Schwartz
      Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Criminal Law Division
      • Nancy Krigas
        Director, Assistant Deputy Attorney General’s Office
      • Directors: Crown Operations
        Andrew Locke (TO)
        Paul Tait (CE)
        Julie Scott (E)
        Todd Norman (A) (CW)
        Fraser Ball (A) (W)
        Kelly Weeks (N)
      • Leslie Paine
        Director, Crown Law Office Criminal
      • Fred Braley
        Director, Guns & Gangs
      • Janine Hodgins (A)
        Director, Office of Strategic Initiatives Initiatives
      • Julie Scott (A)
        Director, Major Case Management
      • Tammy Browes-Bugden
        Director, Strategic Operations & Management Centre
      • Dayna Arron (A)
        Executive Director, Justice Centres

     

    • Katie Wood
      Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Civil Law Division
      • Sean Kearney
        Director, Crown Law Office, Civil
      • Sarah Wright
        Director, Constitutional Law Branch
      • Nayla Ibrahim
        Director, Strategic & Business Management Branch
      • Jane Price
        Director, Education and Development Branch
      • Portfolio Director (Economics, Infrastructure and Government)
        Kikee Malik (A)
        Directors: Legal Services
        Fateh Salim (A) (MPBSD/MOI)
        Len Hatzis (TBS)
        Tom McKinlay (A) (MOF)
        Roslyn Baichoo (A) (MLITSD)
        Mary Gersht (A) (MTO)
      • Portfolio Director (Community, Health and Social Services)
        Dianne Carter
        Directors: Legal Services
        Brian Loewen (SOLGEN)
        Cheryl Carson (A) (MTCS)
        Peter Spencer (MOH/MLTC/Agencies)
        Elaine Atkinson (A) (MCCSS)
        Natasha Wilson (A) (FRO)
        Amyn Hadibhi (A) (EDU)
      • Portfolio Director (Indigenous, Lands and Resources)
        Samir Khalil (A)
        Directors: Legal Services
        Stephan Luciw (A) (MECP)
        Mark Osbaldeston (A) (MMAH)
        Candice Telfer (A) (IAO)
        Donald Bennett (A) (MNDM)
        Donna Glassman (A) (ENDM-Energy/MEDJCT)
        Simone Boxen (A) (OMAFRA)
        Diane Zimnica (A) (MNR)

     

    • Mark Spakowski
      Chief Legislative Counsel

     

    • Olha Dobush (A)
      Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Victims & Vulnerable Persons Division
      • Nicole Mahabir (A)
        Director, Divisional Corporate Support Branch
      • Jill Dubrick (A)
        Director, Ontario Victim Services
      • Nicole Mahabir (A)
        Children’s Lawyer
      • Ken Goodman
        Public Guardian & Trustee

     

    • Paula Reid
      Assistant Deputy Attorney General & Chief Administrative Officer, Corporate Services Management Division
      • Erika Cotter
        Director, Business & Fiscal Planning
      • Angela Oh
        Director (A) HR Strategic Business Unit
      • Andrew Nizielski
        Director, Facilities Management Branch
      • Frank Skubic
        Director, Justice Sector Security and Emergency Management Branch
      • Lawrence Song
        Director (A), Project Implementation
      • Dominic Fernandes
        Director, Analytics & Evidence Branch
      • Mirjeta Dhamo
        Coordinator, French Language Services
      • Noel Kent
        Coordinator, Freedom of Information
      • Jessica Smith
        Director, Courts Digital Transformation Branch
      • Brad Obee
        Director, Audit Services (TBS)

     

    • Marian Jacko
      Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Indigenous Justice Division
      • Jennifer Abbott (A)
        Director, Indigenous Services
      • Rolando Aguilera (A)
        Legal Director

     

    • Jane Mallen (A)
      Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Policy Division
      • Juliet Robin (A)
        Executive Director, Justice Policy Development
      • Mariela Orellana (A)
        Director, Agency & Tribunal Relations
      • Ana Kapralos (A)
        Program Modernization & Appointments Branch
      • Joe Whitehead (A)
        Executive Director, Ontario Land Tribunals
      • Harry Gousopoulos
        Executive Director, Tribunals Ontario
        
        Mira Gamsa
        Director Of Operations
        
        Lorissa Sciarra (A)
        Director, Strategic Development
        
        Cristina Boucinha
        Director, Strategic Business Service Tribunals Ontario
      • Michael Mamo
        Chief Operating Officer, Office of the Independent Police Review Director
      • William Curtis
        Director, Special Investigations Unit
      • Raj Dhir (A)
        Executive Director and Chief Legal Counsel, Ontario Human Rights Commission

     

    • Samantha Poisson (A) Assistant Deputy Attorney General Recovery Division
      • Vacant Legal Director Operations Recovery
      • Vacant Director Operational Support

Download printer-friendly organization chart (JPG 380 KB).

Ministry of the Attorney General legislation

Administration of Justice

• Administration of Justice Act
• Apology Act, 2009
• Arbitration Act, 1991
• Assessment Review Board Act
• Bail Act
• Blind Persons’ Rights Act
• Class Proceedings Act, 1992
• Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act
• Courts of Justice Act
• Crown Witnesses Act
• Dog Owners’ Liability Act
• Education Act (sections pertaining to Special Education Tribunal — English & French)
• Evidence Act
• Execution Act
• Fines and Forfeitures Act
• Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 (sections pertaining to the Fire Safety Commission)
• Habeas Corpus Act
• Hearings in Tribunal Proceedings (Temporary Measures) Act, 2020
• Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Inquiries Act
• Human Rights Code
• Judicial Review Procedure Act
• Juries Act
• Justices of the Peace Act
• Legal Aid Services Act, 2020
• Legislation Act, 2006
• Licence Appeal Tribunal Act, 1999
• Limitations Act, 2002 
• Ministry of Correctional Services Act, 1990 (sections pertaining to the Ontario)
• Parole Board
• Negligence Act
• Notaries Act
• Ontario Land Tribunal Act, 2021
• Ontario Works Act, 1997 (section pertaining to Social Benefits Tribunal)
• Parental Responsibility Act, 2000
• Police Services Act (sections pertaining to Office of the Independent Police Review Director and the Ontario Civilian Police Commission)
• Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking Act, 2017
• Provincial Offences Act
• Public Inquiries Act, 2009
• Real Property Limitations Act
• Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (sections pertaining to the Landlord and Tenant Board)
• Safe Streets Act, 1999
• Special Investigations Unit Act, 2019
• Statutory Powers Procedure Act
• Tobacco Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act, 2009
• Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act, 2019
• Tribunal Adjudicative Records Act, 2019
• Victims’ Bill of Rights, 1995

Family Law

• Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 (sections pertaining to Child and Family Services Review Board, Custody Review Board)
• Children's Law Reform Act
• Family Law Act
• Safe Access to Abortion Services Act, 2017

Inter-jurisdictional

• Enforcement of Judgments Conventions Act, 1999
• International Choice of Court Agreements Convention Act, 2017
• International Electronic Communications Convention Act, 2017
• International Interests in Mobile Equipment Act (Aircraft Equipment), 2002
• International Recognition of Trusts Act, 2017
• Interprovincial Summonses Act
• Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments (UK) Act
• Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments Act
• Settlement of International Investment Disputes Act, 1999
• Transboundary Pollution Reciprocal Access Act

Property Statutes

• Accumulations Act
• Aliens’ Real Property Act
• Conveyancing and Law of Property Act
• Disorderly Houses Act
• Escheats Act, 2015
• Expropriations Act
• Fraudulent Conveyances Act
• Mortgages Act
• Occupiers’ Liability Act
• Partition Act
• Property and Civil Rights Act
• Religious Organizations’ Lands Act
• Short Forms of Leases Act
• Trespass to Property Act

Business Regulation

• Absconding Debtors Act
• Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Act, 2019
• Business Records Protection Act
• Cannabis Control Act, 2017
• Cannabis Licence Act, 2018
• Charities Accounting Act
• Commercial Mediation Act, 2010
• Construction Act
• Costs of Distress Act
• Creditors’ Relief Act, 2010
• Electronic Commerce Act, 2000
• Frustrated Contracts Act
• Gaming Control Act, 1992
• Horse Racing Licence Act, 2015
• International Commercial Arbitration Act, 2017
• International Sales Conventions Act, R.S.O. 1990
• Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019
• Mercantile Law Amendment Act
• Sale of Goods Act
• Statute of Frauds
• Unconscionable Transactions Relief Act
• Vendors and Purchasers Act
• Wages Act
• Warehouse Receipts Act

Professional Regulation

• Architects Act
• Barristers Act
• Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario Act, 2017
• Law Society Act
• Professional Engineers Act
• Public Accounting Act, 2004
• Solicitors Act

Crown Duties/Immunity

• Crown Agency Act
• Crown Attorneys Act
• Crown Liability and Proceedings Act, 2019
• Ministry of the Attorney General Act
• Ombudsman Act
• Public Authorities Protection Act
• Public Officers Act  
• Supporting Ontario's Recovery Act, 2020

Estates

• Absentees Act
• Crown Administration of Estates Act
• Declarations of Death Act, 2002
• Estates Act
• Estates Administration Act
• Perpetuities Act
• Powers of Attorney Act
• Public Guardian and Trustee Act
• Settled Estates Act
• Substitute Decisions Act, 1992
• Succession Law Reform Act
• Trustee Act
• Variation of Trusts Act

Other

• Age of Majority and Accountability Act
• Civil Remedies Act, 2001
• Donation of Food Act, 1994
• Executive Council Act
• Good Samaritan Act, 2001
• Human Trafficking Awareness Day Act, 2017
• Libel and Slander Act
• Lieutenant Governor Act
• Members’ Integrity Act, 1994
• Ontario Association of Former Parliamentarians Act, 2000
• Prohibiting Profiting from Recounting Crimes Act, 2002
• Religious Freedom Act
• Revised Statutes Confirmation and Corrections Act, 1993
• Time Act

Democracy Statutes

• Election Act
• Election Finances Act
• Electoral System Referendum Act, 2007
• Legislative Assembly Act
• Representation Act, 2015

Appendix: 2022–2023 Annual Report

In 2022–2023, the Ministry of the Attorney General continued to build on its progress to transform Ontario’s outdated justice system, support victims and vulnerable people, and build stronger, more collaborative relationships with the justice system.

The ministry remained steadfast in its commitment to building on the progress made to respond to evolving demands in the justice system and establish new and innovative ways of delivering services remotely, in-person and online. The ministry delivered exceptional service to the public despite significant financial pressures.

Key performance indicators

In 2022–2023, the ministry met or exceeded eight of the sixteen ministry Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The ministry faced challenges achieving the targets for four other KPIs, which are related to reducing regulatory burden, administration of penalties and fines, and the incidence of violent crimes.

As part of the annual Strategic Planning Process (SPP), the ministry reported its progress on each ministry KPIs. The ministry has made progress in and met or exceeded the stated targets in several areas:

• Documents filed and submitted online: there was a significant increase from 538,197 in the previous SPP to over 1.25 million in the 2023–2024 SPP. While this greatly surpasses the ministry’s target of 142,484, the ministry is uncertain whether the magnitude of this change will be sustained post COVID recovery.
• Percentage of victims who reported feeling supported by the services received: the ministry surpassed the target of 95.0%, with 97.5% of victims feeling supported.
• Completion of Emergency Management Program requirements: the ministry continues to meet this target through a 100% compliance rate.
• Facility Condition Index (FCI) for the leasehold component of the ministry’s Leasehold Asset Management Program (LAMP) assessed sites: This is the first year that this KPI includes all the ministry’s LAMP assessed sites compared to previous years where this measure only included government owned courts. The ministry will observe trends in future cycles.
• Percentage of eligible client transactions using electronic service channels: the ministry exceeded the target of 55.0%, with 76.0% of eligible client transactions occurring through electronic service channels. Throughout COVID‑19, the ministry has made significant progress in enabling electronic transactions for a variety of business lines.
• Percentage of clients satisfied with services received: the ministry exceeded the target of 85.0% by achieving a 92.5% satisfaction rate. Through COVID‑19, the ministry has maintained good client satisfaction levels, and this is demonstrated in the ministry’s satisfaction rating.
• Number of services that provide mental health supports to Ontarians: the ministry met its goal of providing access to mental health services and supports by providing 14 mental health programs.
• Percentage increase in online service transactions: in 2020–2021, a baseline of 135,039 online transactions was determined. The ministry targeted a 5.0% increase each year. In 2021–2022, 210,650 online transactions were noted. This increase reflects the launch of the new internet gaming market.

The ministry also conducted a lessons-learned exercise to identify successes and challenges to ensure the best outcomes for the people of Ontario through responsible investment and evidence-based decision-making.

Justice accelerated strategy

In 2022–2023, the ministry continued the largest transformation of the justice sector in Ontario’s history, designed to bring more services, such as e-filing and certain court hearings, online and closer to where Ontarians live.

In summer 2022, the ministry launched a new jury notification system that instantly sends jurors and potential jurors text messages and emails about court cancellations, date and time changes, location changes, and other important updates. The system replaced a slow and outdated paper-based mail system that was previously used to notify jurors of critical information.

Work continued on the Courts Digital Modernization initiative, which allows court users to digitally access court information 24 hours a day from anywhere. Users are able to:

• submit and view documents online
• file over 700 document types for civil, Divisional Court, bankruptcy, family and Small Claims Court matters
• have easier, faster access to court records
• schedule matters and appearances
• pay fees online
• receive decisions electronically

In 2022, the ministry invested an additional $65 million over five years to ensure that courtrooms across the province are equipped with technology so that people can access hearings through video or audio. The ministry continues to work to ensure video and audio court hearings are available in every region, including in more rural, northern, and Indigenous communities. In 2021–2022, 40 installations were completed, with another 50 completed in 2022–2023. An additional 16 rooms are targeting completion in 2023–2024 under Phase 1 and another 50 rooms under Phase 2.

The ministry will continue to develop the “courthouse of the future,” which is currently piloted in Halton Region, and offers in-person services and virtual appearances, as well as opportunities for self-service.

In October 2022, the ministry invested $2.1 million towards the installation of reliable high-speed satellite internet access and video conferencing equipment to enable virtual court proceedings in these 29 communities. The ongoing investment will help break down long-standing barriers and will support a modern, accessible legal system that meets the needs of First Nations and Northern communities.

The ministry also worked to provide technology to the implementation of the Tribunals Ontario Portal — a new case management system that will streamline the dispute resolution process by allowing applications to be filed, processed, and scheduled online. The new system is expected to help address backlogs at the Landlord and Tenant Board, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, and other tribunals that fall under Tribunals Ontario. The Landlord and Tenant Board was the first tribunal to implement the portal.

Criminal court case backlog

The ministry continued to work to address the backlog of criminal cases caused by the COVID‑19 pandemic through the criminal case backlog strategy. Launched in October 2021, the government’s significant investment of $72 million over two years has supported the hiring of additional Crown Prosecutors to mitigate the risk of serious cases being stayed for delay, the hiring of new staff to strengthen court and victim/witness services, and increased funding for enhanced legal aid services. The government is also increasing trial capacity in the justice system until the number of outstanding cases returns to pre-pandemic levels by reducing the number of cases entering the criminal justice system, seeking faster resolutions for cases already in the system and updating processes to shorten the time it takes to move a case to trial.

While the majority of initiatives in this strategy were implemented by March 2022, the remaining resources were implemented in 2022–2023 and the ministry continues to see the impact of this important investment. For example, the updated COVID‑19 Recovery Directive is helping to focus prosecutorial resources where they are needed most – the prosecution of serious cases such as murder, sexual assault, and gun-related offences.

The ministry also completed an intensive review and resolution blitz of backlogged cases in 2022. Virtual Resolution Teams of experienced prosecutors were created in each region. As a result, thousands of criminal cases were reviewed, reducing backlog and freeing up beneficial court time.

Legal Aid Ontario

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) receives a significant portion of its funding from the Law Foundation of Ontario, whose primary source of revenue is the interest derived from lawyers’ trust accounts. In 2022–2023, the government approved $52 million in additional one-time funding for LAO to address funding shortfalls from the Law Foundation of Ontario to ensure that services were not impacted by lost revenue from the Law Foundation of Ontario. LAO is predicting steady funding from the Law Foundation of Ontario for the next three years.

Justice centres

Ontario continued to support justice centres to move justice out of the traditional courtroom into a community setting. By integrating early supports into the justice process, these centres can reduce recidivism, minimize time spent in jail on remand, break the cycle of offending and improve outcomes for justice-involved and high-needs communities in Ontario.

On February 6, 2023, the Ontario government, in collaboration with Indigenous leaders, the Ontario Court of Justice and community partners, opened the Kenora Justice Centre. Designed with and for the Kenora community, the innovative Centre will hold individuals accountable for their offences, while providing community-led supports through health care, education, housing and other social-service providers. Wrap-around programs will be delivered by specialized teams that include Indigenous-led organizations, and mental health and addictions counsellors.

With the launch of the Kenora Justice Centre, there are now four Justice Centres that are operational in Ontario. The first Justice Centre was launched in London in September 2020, and the Toronto Downtown East and Toronto Northwest Justice Centres both launched in May 2021.

Since the London Justice Centre launched in September 2020, it has processed almost 1,000 cases and connected over 90% of Justice Centre clients to supports for mental health, education, employment or housing.

At the Toronto Northwest site, youth have been referred to 40 unique agencies to provide services and supports.

At the Toronto Downtown East site, 100% of first court appearances are scheduled to occur within 1 week of police contact.

In the 12 months after their First Appearance at the Downtown East site, participants incurred fewer new criminal charges than they did in the previous 12 months – with 91.3% of individuals demonstrating some level of abstaining from criminal activity.

Ontario Court of Justice — Toronto

In early 2023, Infrastructure Ontario completed the construction of the new 17-storey high-rise courthouse. The 17-storey high-rise courthouse will bring together most of the Ontario Court of Justice (OCJ) criminal courts operating across the city of Toronto.

The new Ontario Court of Justice — Toronto (OCJT) opened in early March 2023 with phased courthouse moves following. The fully accessible state-of-the-art courthouse will bring six OCJ criminal courts under one roof, including specialty courts, such as those for drug treatment, youth and mental health.

Emergency injunctions

During the blockades and occupations in Ottawa and Windsor in February 2022, MAG lawyers supported affected businesses and municipalities to respond quickly and decisively to prevent further disruptions to critical economic activities and local businesses.

On February 11, 2023, the ministry supported an injunction sought by the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association and the City of Windsor to prevent protesters from blocking the Windsor Ambassador Bridge and halting critical daily activity with U.S. trading partners. The Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Justice granted the requested injunction.

On February 14, 2023, the ministry supported a similar injunction brought by the City of Ottawa to prohibit breaches of a number of city by-laws to help clear the streets of Ottawa, where several weeks of occupation had begun to take a critical toll on downtown businesses and the tourist economy. The Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court granted the requested injunction.

These injunctions helped to ensure public safety and protect vital economic activities during a period of crisis.

Housing Supply Action Plan

As part of the Housing Supply Action Plan 2022, led by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the government invested more than $19 million over three years to help reduce the longstanding backlogs and accelerate decisions at the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) and Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). Investments supported the appointment of more impartial adjudicators at the OLT and LTB and support additional technology at the land tribunal to resolve cases faster.

In November 2022, the ministry invested an additional $1.4 million into the LTB, allowing the board to hire 35 additional operational staff to enhance scheduling and client experience, issue decisions and orders faster and help tackle the high number of cases before the board.

Establishing safe and competitive online gaming

On April 1, 2022, iGaming Ontario (iGO) launched the new market for internet gaming (igaming).

Since its launch in April 2022, Ontario’s regulated igaming market has more than 40 operators across 70 gaming websites and has displaced the existing unregulated market, which historically has provided limited safeguards for consumers and competed with legitimate gaming providers. In the first year, there has been $35.6 billion in total wagers and generated $1.4 billion in total gaming revenue in Ontario.

The Ontario government continues to lead the way in Canada with the new online gaming market that protects consumers and sets clear rules, while ensuring a level playing field for new businesses.

Providing responsive services for vulnerable people

In April 2022, the ministry seamlessly transferred six additional victims services programs to Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to ensure a more coordinated approach to delivering services such as crisis intervention and violence prevention programs. This followed the transfer of three victim services programs in January 2022.

In December 2022, the ministry provided $2.13 million in one-time funding for 2022–2023 to address immediate service pressures in the Partner Assault Response (PAR) program. This funding allowed providers to offer additional group sessions so that more clients can access the program in a timely fashion and get the help that they, and their partners/victims need.

Table 3: Ministry interim actual expenditures 2022–2023