Established in 1981, the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics has a mandate to produce information on the extent and nature of crime and the administration of criminal, civil, and administrative justice in Canada. This information is intended to serve governments in the development, operation, and evaluation of justice policies and programs as well as to broaden public awareness of the trends in crime, how the justice system operates, and of its costs. The Centre also provides financial assistance and expert advice to Federal, provincial, and municipal agencies with justice responsibility in developing information systems that can serve local operations and national information requirements. The Centre has two main operational areas. The first, Statistics and Information Directorate, is responsible for the development and operation of statistical surveys, their analysis, and special studies. The second, Technical Assistance Directorate, provides technical and financial assistance to individual jurisdictions. It is also responsible for responding to information requests, marketing, and client relations. Currently, information is collected on the justice sectors of policing services, corrections, courts, youth justice, and legal aid. For each of these sectors, four types of information are collected: caseload and case characteristics data quantify the volume and describe the nature of the cases; qualitative information describes the structure, legislative authority, and programs of each sector; and revenues, expenditures, and personnel data quantify the costs of administering the system. Data collection is ongoing, resulting in the availability of time-series information and the latest data possible. This paper includes brief descriptions of each Canadian survey and the type of information it collects. The four program areas of technical assistance are briefly described: jurisdictional assistance, centre assistance, technology coordination, and information and client services.