Cutbacks to Justice Canada Research

The Canadian Press agency is reporting (article on the CBC News website) that Justice Canada is cutting 20% from its research budget.

The article is based on a fall 2013 document obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.

The agency reports that critics also believe the government is tightening controls to make sure research results are more supportive of government policies.

The article also reports:

"The department has also reduced its subscriptions to print publications and legal databases, including QuickLaw, for savings of about $1.6 million a year starting April this year."

"Justice has an annual budget of $662 million for 2014-2015, with almost 4,600 employees, many of them lawyers."

"Last year, the lawyers group won a 12 per cent pay increase even as the government trimmed benefits and jobs across all departments."