Assistant Crown Attorney - Human Trafficking

ELIGIBILITY FOR THIS COMPETITION IS RESTRICTED TO STEP 1 CANDIDATES INCLUDING OPS ALOC AND OCAA LAWYERS living 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.

The Ministry of the Attorney General, Criminal Law Division, is seeking an experienced lawyer with extensive experience in prosecuting cases involving vulnerable victims and an interest in becoming a part of the dedicatedProvincial Human Trafficking Prosecution Team within the Criminal Law Division that works in collaboration with other justice partners to further the government's Strategy to End Human Trafficking.

The successful candidate will be responsible for preparing cases and conducting human trafficking prosecutions and working closely with local police and the Intelligence-Led Joint Forces Strategy (IJFS).

The Criminal Law Division is a large geographically dispersed operation with approximately 1900 staff who help protect community and personal safety through prosecution of offences across the province. The division's vision is to be the foremost prosecution service in Canada, and this vision is supported through the divisional mission, values, and key strategies.

Our Values: Integrity, Judgment, Commitment, Justice, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration

OPS Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Anti-Racism:

We are committed to build a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and to promote a diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, accessible, merit-based, respectful and equitable workplace.

We invite all interested individuals to apply and encourage applications from people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black, and racialized individuals, as well as people from a diversity of ethnic and cultural origins, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.

Visit the OPS Anti-Racism Policy and the OPS Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint pages to learn more about the OPS commitment to advance racial equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in the public service.

We offer employment accommodation across the recruitment process and all aspects of employment consistent with the requirements of Ontario's Human Rights Code. Refer to the "How to apply" section if you require a disability-related accommodation.

What can I expect to do in this role?

Duties Will Include:

• Preparing cases and conducting human trafficking prosecutions in the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice
• Providing legal and strategic advice and support to Crown counsel across the province in respect of their human trafficking prosecutions
• Preparing cases and Prosecuting multi-jurisdictional Human Trafficking (HT) cases generated by a new provincial Human Trafficking Investigative Unit led by the OPP in collaboration with municipal police agencies (Intelligence-Led Joint Forces Strategy - IJFS) and providing pre-charge advice to members of the IJFS throughout the course of their investigations.
• Actively participating in regular Provincial Human Trafficking Prosecution Team meetings, to share best practices and address common legal and evidentiary challenges specific to human trafficking cases
• Identifying opportunities to systemically and continuously improve and enhance the approach used in the prosecution of human trafficking cases
• As part of the HT Prosecution Team, assisting in the design and development of enhanced Crown training and educational materials, specific to human trafficking for delivery to Crown counsel across the Division, as well as police and other justice partners at the local, regional and provincial level
• Participating in the collection of data and identification of metrics to demonstrate program performance improvements
• Working in collaboration with police agencies to improve and enhance human trafficking investigations through the provision of pre-charge and ongoing expert legal advice to achieve provincial police-Crown coordination in addressing human trafficking cases
• Liaising with Justice Stakeholders, including local police agencies and victims services
• Liaising with relevant government ministries and stakeholders, especially those responsible for leading various initiatives as part of the provincial Strategy to End Human Trafficking

How do I qualify?

Mandatory

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

Legal Experience

• Demonstrated knowledge of the Criminal Code of Canada, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, criminal procedure, rules of evidence and relevant case law
• Demonstrated criminal litigation experience in the prosecution of cases involving vulnerable victims (such as human trafficking, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, or Internet Child Exploitation cases
• Experience working on major/lengthy cases involving computer, cell phone, forensic, and/or scientific evidence, voluminous amounts of disclosure, and/or complex legal and factual issues
• Knowledge of victims' issues that are unique to vulnerable and/or juvenile/child victims, sexual assault victims, intimate partner violence offences victims, internet child exploitation and/or human trafficking victims.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

• Demonstrated judgment and analytical ability to determine appropriate legal remedies
• Demonstrated interpersonal, relationship management, advocacy and presentation and communication skills
• Experience in internal (Crown) or external (police, victim, Victims/Witness Assistance Program) community engagement initiatives

Other Essential Skills

• Willingness and ability to travel to other court locations within the respective region
• Technical skills to work effectively with computer technology and databases made available to professional staff