Crown Counsel

Fonction publique de l'Ontario; Toronto; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Ontario Public Service is seeking a Crown Counsel to lead the redesign of local justice processes within Ontario's Justice Centres. The role involves prosecuting cases, providing legal advice on pilot development, and coordinating with police, health and social services to improve community safety.

The successful candidate will work within the Criminal Law Division, collaborating with provincial and federal partners to advance justice initiatives and deliver effective public safety outcomes.

Qualifications

• Must be a member in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario.
• Experience prosecuting criminal matters in Ontario courts (Criminal, Youth Court, Provincial Offences Court, Bail Court).
• Strong research and analytical abilities to develop strategic criminal justice interventions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the redesign of local justice processes within Ontario's Justice Centres.
• Prosecute cases in a Justice Centre and provide legal advice for pilots across the province.
• Coordinate with police, health, social service providers and other stakeholders to identify referrals and manage files.
• Conduct hearings, applications, motions, appeals and reviews on behalf of the Attorney General.
• Collaborate with federal, provincial, and local partners to promote cross-sector justice initiatives.
• Prepare briefing notes and presentations; provide oral briefings as required.

Skills

Prosecutions

Criminal law

Legal research

Written communication

Stakeholder liaison

Education

Law degree & call to the Ontario Bar

Job description

1 Temporary (up to 12 months secondment/contract with possibility of extension)

Job code:

OCAA - Crown Counsel

Salary commensurate with legal experience

ELIGIBILITY FOR THIS COMPETITION IS RESTRICTED TO STEP 1 CANDIDATES INCLUDING OPS ALOC AND OCAA LAWYERSliving or working within 125 km of this location. Note: Eligible lawyers from outside the Area of Search may apply but will not be entitled to relocation or travel expenses for the transfer as set out below.

Step 1: All regular/fixed-term OCAA and ALOC lawyers on staff, current Redeployment List Members and current Articling Student Hireback Pool Members.

Step 2: In the absence of qualified applicants at Step 1 the competition may be reposted so that external applicants or non-members of the above-mentioned groups would then be eligible to apply.

Are you passionate about improving the criminal justice system in Ontario? Are you looking for an opportunity to apply your background in criminal law to a transformational initiative? Are you ready to imagine new ways for the criminal justice system to interact with communities, health and social services to build a connected and responsive approach to community safety and well-being?

Consider this exciting opportunity and join the Justice Centre project.

Background Information on Justice Centres in Ontario:

Introduced in over 80 communities around the world, Justice Centres move justice out of the traditional courtroom and into a community setting. These Centres bring together justice, health, employment, education and social services to address the root causes of crime, break the cycle of offending, and improve public safety and community well-being.

Tailored to the unique needs of local communities, justice centres co-locate justice facilities (e.g. courtrooms) with front-end supports (e.g. primary healthcare, Restorative Justice programming, mental health supports), prevention services (e.g. employment and skills training) and community re-integration supports (e.g. peer counselling).

Each Justice Centre is designed by and for the community it serves to improve outcomes for offenders, victims and communities by holding individuals accountable for their offences while connecting them to services that reduce the risk of re-offending. Central to the approach is a commitment to better support victims and communities harmed by crime.

This competition may be used to fill further team vacancies over the next 12 months

About the job

What can I expect to do in this role?

The successful candidate will play a key role in the on-going implementation of Ontario's Justice Centres by leading the re-design of local justice processes, acting as a liaison with community, provincial and federal stakeholders, prosecuting cases in a Justice Centre, providing local operational oversight, and providing legal advice on the development of the Justice Centre model for Ontario.

Duties Will Include:

• Coordinating with police, duty counsel, mental health court workers, bail vettor(s), etc. to identify potential Justice Centre referrals and reviewing files to determine Crown resolution position.
• Performing case management duties for Justice Centre matters including screening, disclosure, resolution meetings, as well as participating in multi-disciplinary case conferences with social service and health providers as part of Justice Centre process.
• Conducting, on a regular basis, hearings, applications, motions, appeals and/or reviews on behalf of the Attorney General in the Ontario Court of Justice and/or other courts as required.
• Providing legal advice and support for the operational, policy and programmatic development of Justice Centre pilots across the province. This will include research and community-based solutions that integrate early supports into justice processes aimed at reducing recidivism, minimizing time spent in jail on remand, and improving outcomes for justice-involved and high-needs communities.
• Working closely within the Ministry of the Attorney General, along with key partner ministries and the federal government, on the development of cross-sectoral policy, programs and operations to promote justice sector systems integration and transformation through the establishment of Ontario's Justice Centres.
• Keeping informed on office/regional/divisional/provincial initiatives, protocols and directives and implementing them to ensure consistent practices within the justice system (e.g. Bail Best Practices Protocol, Criminal Modernization Committee, Case Management Protocol, Indigenous People's Court and Domestic Violence Court Initiatives).
• Establishing and maintaining professional relationships and working cooperatively with all members of the Criminal Law Division (management, colleagues and support staff), and with other participants in the justice system and local social service sector for the purpose of enhancing communication between the parties and improving the administration of justice.
• Providing legal support and advice to justice sector partners, such as police, victim witness, probation and parole, etc.
• Assisting and supporting colleagues with prosecutions, research, etc. as required.
• Preparing written communication materials such as briefing notes and presentations and conducting oral briefings as required.

What you bring to the team

Mandatory requirements

• Membership in good standing as a lawyer with the Law Society of Ontario

Knowledge and Skills

• Demonstrated experience and expertise in conducting prosecutions, on behalf of the Attorney General, in the Ontario Court of Justice [Criminal; Youth Court; Provincial Offences Court; Bail Court, including Weekend and Statutory Holiday (WASH) Court], the Superior Court of Justice and/or the Court of Appeal for Ontario
• Experience in prosecutions of a serious and complex nature, including jury trials
• Knowledge of the Criminal Code of Canada, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, criminal law procedures, rules of evidence and case law
• Knowledge and understanding of the role and function of a prosecutor in the criminal justice system in Ontario
• Experience in case management duties to support the efficient prosecution of criminal matters (e.g. screening, disclosure and resolution meetings)
• Demonstrated judgment and ability to determine appropriate legal remedies and alternate courses of action
• Proven research skills and analytical ability to develop a strategic approaches or criminal justice intervention
• Strong written communication skills including plain language legal writing

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

• Demonstrated interpersonal, presentation and communication skills and proven ability to work with diverse communities
• Ability to work collaboratively across sectors, e.g. with community agencies, probation and parole, etc.

How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility

We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please contact us.

Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:

• diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• accessibility
• Anti-Racism Policy

What we offer

The Ministry of the Attorney General is committed to a responsive, innovative justice system that upholds the Rule of Law. The Criminal Law Division, with approximately 2,200 staff (1,400 legal and 800 business professionals):

• Prosecutes offences under the Criminal Code, Youth Criminal Justice Act, and Provincial Offences Act.

• Conducts criminal appeals at all court levels.

• Provides specialized services (e.g., wiretaps, extraditions, search warrants).

• Advises police and government officials on criminal law.

• Sets prosecution policy across Ontario.

• Develops justice system efficiencies with stakeholders.

• Offers world-class education for prosecutors.

Additional information can be found here .

This role comes with a comprehensive compensation and benefits package that includes:

•a defined-benefit lifetime pension plan (guaranteed, ongoing inflation-protected income after retirement)

•group health, dental, life and disability benefits

•a range of vacation and leave options

•an Employee and Family Assistance Program, which provides confidential counseling services

Additional information:

Language requirements and assessment:
All external Ontario Public Service (OPS) job ads are posted in English and French. Check the "position(s) language" section at the top of each job ad for the language requirements. For all roles, candidates are assessed in English, the business language of the OPS. If the position is bilingual (English/French), you'll also need to pass a French-language proficiency test.