National Action Plan on Open Government Commitment
C04.5.1 - Designing inclusive government programs and services
- Commitment:
- Designing inclusive government programs and services
- Milestone:
- Support the design and delivery of accessible administrative services.
- Indicator:
- C04.5.1 - The number of administrative bodies (federal, provincial and territorial) that apply the Access to Justice Index to their operations for an initial assessment.
- Lead Organization:
- Department of Justice Canada
- Deadline:
- Biannually until 2029
Updates
2026-06
The Access to Justice Index for Administrative Bodies is a comprehensive tool that allows administrative bodies in Canada to assess their own progress in delivering meaningful access to justice to users. The Index highlights the power of data-driven policy and programming. It clearly identifies areas in which administrative bodies can make concrete improvements. Other programs and projects that have a long-term goal of improving access to justice may also find value in reviewing the materials and using this tool. Links to more information are below.
This self-assessment tool is essentially an online survey consisting of a series of yes or no questions divided into two main parts: 1) Current Performance, and 2) Institutional Capacity. Part 1 reflects the areas of focus from the original Index (2017-2024). Part 2 is new, launched in November 2025.
During this reporting period, Justice Canada completed two reports for administrative bodies using the Index. Both were provincial tribunals. Researchers also had at least one in-depth discussion with staff from a federal tribunal about the benefits of taking the “Index challenge.” The more administrative bodies using the Index, the greater the awareness about it and about access to justice for administrative bodies overall. The Index plays an awareness raising role breaking down the broad umbrella term “access to justice” into categories and sub-categories that all come from rigorous research undertaken by universities in the Netherlands.
The page includes links to the updated questionnaire/online survey, a Guide to completing the Access to Justice Index for Administrative Bodies (2025) - https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/guide/index.html, and a summary report of the changes made to the Index during the review: Review of the Access to Justice Index for Administrative Bodies (2025) - https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/rib-reb/rajiab-riajea/index.html.
More time is needed to promote the use of the revised Index.
2025-12
Two administrative bodies have applied the Index during Q1.
More time is needed to promote the use of the revised Index.