Inquest Counsel

Fonction publique de l'Ontario; Toronto; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Ontario Public Service, Office of the Chief Coroner – Criminal Law Division, seeks counsel to conduct complex inquests and provide legal guidance. You will work with a presiding inquest officer, manage a caseload, and support the modernization of inquest practices. Candidates must be Ontario lawyers in good standing and capable of regional travel.

The roles are temporary (2), with potential extensions, and may involve travel to Hamilton, Kingston, London, Ottawa, Sudbury, Thunder Bay or Toronto.

Qualifications

• Mandatory: Membership in good standing as a lawyer with the Law Society of Ontario.
• Knowledge and experience in death investigations, litigation with juries or inquest counsel, and understanding of administrative law, criminal and/or regulatory law.

Responsibilities

• Prepare for and conduct inquests, directing investigations and meeting with interested parties.
• Provide legal opinions and advice to the presiding inquest officer and the team.
• Identify issues with broader implications for the inquest system and report to Chief Counsel.
• Contribute to strategic development and modernization of inquest practices and approaches.
• Support stakeholders and participate in committees, training and supervision as assigned.

Skills

Litigation experience

Jury experience

Public interest

Trauma-informed

Legal research

Education

Law degree

Job description

Office of the Chief Coroner - Criminal Law Division

City:

Hamilton, Kingston, London, Ottawa, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Toronto

Position(s) language:

Job term:

2 Temporary (up to 6 and 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.
Do you wish to make a difference by contributing to positive public safety change for Ontarians? Are you interested in a unique kind of litigation that does not seek to assign liability, guilt or blame, but rather identifies and potentially closes gaps in policy, protocol, law and operation?
This is an exciting opportunity for counsel wishing to join a dynamic and progressive organization and have an integral role in a recently modernized inquest system. Reporting to the Chief Counsel to the Chief Coroner for Ontario, you will have carriage of a caseload of complex inquests, working directly with a presiding inquest officer on each inquest, providing legal advice and conducting the inquest.
Although the main location for the office of the Chief Coroner is in Toronto, candidates may be able
to work out of one of the six (6) regional offices listed (Hamilton, Kingston, London, Ottawa, Sudbury, Thunder Bay) with the occasional expectation of provincial travel for in-person inquests and periodic attendance in Toronto.

About the job

Duties and responsibilities will include:

• Preparing for and conducting inquests including: directing the investigation, identifying and meeting with interested parties, preparing potential witnesses, working with the presiding inquest officer to develop inquest scope and a strategy for the inquest, identifying and calling relevant evidence, addressing and responding to legal and administrative issues that arise during the inquest process and working collaboratively with parties to arrive at appropriate recommendations to present to the jury
• Providing advice to the presiding inquest officer and direction to the investigator and other members of the inquest team
• Identifying issues raising broader implications for the inquest system and reporting on them to Chief Counsel
• Providing legal opinions and advice on inquest-related matters, including judicial review applications
• Contributing to the strategic development and overall operations of the Inquest Unit, and the modernization of inquest practices and approaches
• Assisting in building and maintaining positive working relationships on inquest-related matters with relevant stakeholders, such as government ministries and agencies, justice sector members, community organizations, public interest advocacy groups and the general public
• Providing legal support to coroner death review committees, as assigned
• Participating in committees, training, student supervision and support and administrative duties as assigned

Mandatory requirements

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

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Knowledge of death investigations an asset
• Demonstrated litigation experience and expertise, with emphasis placed on experience with juries and / or as inquest counsel
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the role and function of a quasi-judicial decision maker and his or her counsel's function and obligations
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the unique role of inquest counsel and the duties and responsibilities expected when acting in the public interest
• Proven ability to identify and problem-solve contentious issues
• Awareness and respect for the many different cultures of people within Ontario with whom counsel will interact as colleagues, co-counsel, participants at inquests, stakeholders and members of the public
• Knowledge and understanding of Indigenous perspectives, history, traditions (including legal traditions), cultures and, particularly, how governmental systems impact Indigenous Peoples
• Knowledge of administrative law, criminal and/or regulatory law and procedure, rules of evidence and case law
• Knowledge of conflict of interest and bias principles
• Awareness of (and sensitivity to) the unique difficulties and emotionally charged circumstances associated with inquests
• Proven ability to handle a high-volume practice, manage deadlines and unexpected tasks and to remain calm and exercise restraint in high pressure situations
• Experience in providing training and education to clients and/or the legal profession

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

• Demonstrated judgment and analytical ability to determine appropriate legal approaches and solutions
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate and understand the long-term consequences of decisions and recommendations
• Demonstrated high-level interpersonal, presentation and communication skills and the ability to negotiate practical solutions among highly divergent perspectives
• Demonstrated ability to lead and work collaboratively with teams composed of different workgroups
• Expertise in approaching issues from a trauma-informed perspective

Computer Skills and Other

• Ability to use Adobe, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Zoom and Teams
• Technical skills to work effectively with computer technology and databases made available to professional staff
• Ability and willingness to travel throughout Ontario as required

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

Who we are

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