Provincial Offences Act Municipal Prosecutor

Town of Fort Frances; Fort Frances; Hybrid; CAD 54,000 - 65,000; Part time

Job summary

The Town of Fort Frances seeks a qualified Municipal Prosecutor (Part-Time, in-person) to conduct prosecutions under provincial statutes, municipal by-laws, and the Contraventions Act within the Ontario Court of Justice. The role requires independent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality in complex matters.

Responsibilities include evidence review, plea negotiations, early resolution, and preparation of legal documents.

Qualifications

• Licensed Paralegal in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario, or eligible to obtain and maintain such licence.
• Degree or diploma in Paralegal Studies, Law and Security Administration, Legal Studies, Criminology, Justice Studies, or a related discipline.
• Minimum five (5) years' prosecutorial, courtroom, legal, or law enforcement experience, preferably involving Provincial Offences Act matters.
• Thorough understanding of Provincial Offences Act and its application.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Highway Traffic Act, Contraventions Act (Canada), Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Rules of Evidence.
• Demonstrated experience conducting legal research and drafting pleadings, motions, applications, factums, and written submissions.

Responsibilities

• Conducts prosecutions under provincial statutes, the Contraventions Act (Canada) and municipal by-laws in the Ontario Court of Justice for the Fort Frances Court Service area.
• Reviews statements of witnesses; evidence and its admissibility; reviews that all charges have been sufficiently investigated.
• Ensures that all evidence has been collected before presenting arguments to the Court.
• Maintains current knowledge of applicable legislation and the common law, stays current regarding any changes and developments.
• Performs administrative duties related to prosecutions including the disclosure of documents and notice requirements.
• Liaises with Justices of the Peace, Provincial Offences Administration staff, enforcement and other agencies, legal profession and the public.
• Provides disclosure to defendants and accepts service of documents; ensuring witnesses are summonsed or cancelled as necessary.
• At trial, presents evidence and makes legal argument to prove the charge.
• In the case of appeals, files the required documents and presents legal argument on appeal before a Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice.
• Addresses complaints promptly and effectively.
• Prepare and conduct prosecutions of offences under provincial statutes, municipal by-laws, the Contraventions Act (Canada), and delegated matters before the Ontario Court of Justice.
• Research and prepare legal documents including Notices of Motion, Affidavits, written submissions, applications, appeal materials, factums, books of authority, and other court documents.
• Research and analyze legislation, regulations, legal precedents, and case law to determine appropriate courses of action and evaluate the sufficiency of evidence.
• Attend early resolution meetings with defendants, agents, and legal counsel and negotiate appropriate resolutions where warranted.
• Examine and cross-examine witnesses, present oral and written submissions, summarize evidence, and make submissions respecting judgment and sentencing.
• Conduct statutory, corporate, property ownership, tax, and conviction record searches as required.
• Maintain effective working relationships with enforcement agencies and provide legal guidance regarding investigations and prosecutions.
• Liaise with enforcement agencies, the Crown Attorney's Office, the Judiciary, provincial ministries, expert witnesses, and other stakeholders.
• Provide training and educational support to municipal and enforcement personnel on court procedures and emerging legal developments.

Skills

Negotiation

Mediation

Conflict resolution

Decision making

Communication

Education

Paralegal license

Paralegal Studies degree

Legal Studies/Criminology degree

Tools

ICON

CAMS

SharePoint

Legal research tools

Job description

$39.35 /hour to $47.53 /hour Part-Time In-Person

This position requires the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, objectivity, and confidentiality. The Municipal Prosecutor exercises independent prosecutorial discretion in accordance with applicable legislation, Law Society requirements, prosecutorial standards, and principles of procedural fairness.

• Responsible for conducting Part I, Part II, and Part III prosecutions under the Provincial Offences Act, municipal by-laws, selected federal statutes, and any matters delegated by the Attorney General.
• Responsible for conducting early resolution meetings, plea negotiations, screenings, and mediations where appropriate.

Direction of Others:

• Provides expert level functional leadership in resolving matters related to the Provincial Offences Act.

Direction Received:

• The prosecutor works independently when undertaking prosecutions of offences under relevant Provincial Statues. This includes accountability to review case law and argue law on appeals and the conducting of disclosure.
• The Prosecutor, if not a lawyer, will report to a lawyer designated by the Corporation of the Town of Fort Frances. Such reporting will be structured so that the prosecutor’s exercise of discretion is not influenced.
• The Treasurer will provide oversight of hours worked.
• The prosecutor is frequently responsible to make judgements in complex matters. Errors in judgment could result in the miscarriage of justice which may have serious effects on the individuals involved, create inconvenience to the public, generate increased costs, create public dissatisfaction with the administration of justice and cause significant embarrassment for the Town.

Revenue, Asset and Expenditure Scope:

N/A

General Responsibilities:

• Conducts prosecutions under provincial statutes, the Contraventions Act (Canada) and municipal by-laws in the Ontario Court of Justice for the Fort Frances Court Service area.
• Reviews statements of witnesses; evidence and its admissibility; reviews that all charges have been sufficiently investigated.
• Ensures that all evidence has been collected before presenting arguments to the Court.
• Maintains current knowledge of applicable legislation and the common law, stays current regarding any changes and developments.
• Performs administrative duties related to prosecutions including the disclosure of documents and notice requirements.
• Liaises with Justices of the Peace, Provincial Offences Administration staff, enforcement and other agencies, legal profession and the public.
• Provides disclosure to defendants and accepts service of documents; ensuring witnesses are summonsed or cancelled as necessary.
• At trial, presents evidence and makes legal argument to prove the charge.
• In the case of appeals, files the required documents and presents legal argument on appeal before a Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice.
• Addresses complaints promptly and effectively.
• Notifies the local Crown Attorney and the Attorney General of any matter that appears likely to raise a substantive legal issue at trial or appeal, including an application for Judicial review or prerogative writ sought in relation to a prosecution.
• Prepare and conduct prosecutions of offences under provincial statutes, municipal by-laws, the Contraventions Act (Canada), and delegated matters before the Ontario Court of Justice.
• Research and prepare legal documents including Notices of Motion, Affidavits, written submissions, applications, appeal materials, factums, books of authority, and other court documents.
• Research and analyze legislation, regulations, legal precedents, and case law to determine appropriate courses of action and evaluate the sufficiency of evidence.
• Attend early resolution meetings with defendants, agents, and legal counsel and negotiate appropriate resolutions where warranted.
• Examine and cross-examine witnesses, present oral and written submissions, summarize evidence, and make submissions respecting judgment and sentencing.
• Conduct statutory, corporate, property ownership, tax, and conviction record searches as required.
• Maintain effective working relationships with enforcement agencies and provide legal guidance regarding investigations and prosecutions.
• Liaise with enforcement agencies, the Crown Attorney's Office, the Judiciary, provincial ministries, expert witnesses, and other stakeholders.
• Provide training and educational support to municipal and enforcement personnel on court procedures and emerging legal developments.

ROUTINE AND NON-ROUTINE CONTACTS

• Regular contact with Justices of the Ontario Court of Justice, Justices of the Peace and Court Administrative staff for scheduling of courts.
• Contact with the Solicitor for legal issues and advice.
• Contact with the Provincial Offences Coordinator with regard to administrative matters.
• Meets with witnesses for the Prosecution to determine evidence.
• Regular contact with the Treasurer, who oversees hours worked, and provides oversight of departmental budget.

Effort:

• The position requires physical effort of above normal intensity and moderate duration, most work tasks are spent sitting or standing. Keyboarding with a requirement for speed and accuracy is required for some part of the day.
• Work is subject to frequent interruptions.
• A high level of concentration is required for extended periods while performing courtroom prosecutions, and day to day responsibilities, as the nature of the work requires attention to detail to ensure accuracy, and quality of work.

Education and Qualifications:

• Licensed Paralegal in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario, or eligible to obtain and maintain such licence.
• Degree or diploma in Paralegal Studies, Law and Security Administration, Legal Studies, Criminology, Justice Studies, or a related discipline.
• Minimum five (5) years' prosecutorial, courtroom, legal, or law enforcement experience, preferably involving Provincial Offences Act matters.
• Demonstrated knowledge of:
• Highway Traffic Act
• Contraventions Act (Canada)
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• Rules of Evidence
• Applicable provincial statutes, regulations, and municipal by-laws.
• Demonstrated experience conducting legal research and drafting pleadings, motions, applications, factums, and written submissions.
• Strong negotiation, mediation, conflict resolution, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality in sensitive legal matters.
• Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and strict court deadlines.
• Advanced computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office and legal/court-related software systems such as ICON, CAMS, SharePoint, and legal research tools.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Thorough understanding of Provincial Offences Act and its application.

Conditions of Employment:

• Must provide a satisfactory criminal background and Vulnerable Sector checks.

Working Conditions:

• Hours of work are based on operational needs and court schedules. The extent of preparation required for prosecutions varies dependent on the matter.
• The incumbent works mainly indoors on a year-round basis, in a private workspace.
• The incumbent may be subject to dealing with human hazards such as difficult people, verbal abuse, and potential threat of violence.

Accommodations

The Town of Fort Frances is committed to providing accommodation for persons with disabilities during the recruitment and selection process, as well as for our staff. This service is available upon request by contacting Human Resources at [e-mail] or [phone] ext. 1220 .

Human Resources will work with any applicants who request accommodations to ensure that arrangements are in place to ensure their needs are met.

We ensure that all new hires are advised of our policies for accommodating employees with disabilities, and we are more than happy to provide accommodations to our new staff.

Disclosure

Use of AI

The Town of Fort Frances may use AI-assisted tools to support administrative parts of the hiring process, such as organizing applications or identifying job‑related qualifications.

These tools do not make decisions about candidate screening or selection. All hiring decisions are made solely by Town Human Resources and authorized Administration staff.

Collection of Personal Information

Personal information is managed in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA).