Assistant Crown Attorney

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 seeks three (3)Assistant Crown Attorneys(2 permanent and 1 temporary for 12 months) in theNiagara Crown Attorney's Office to perform prosecutorial and administrative duties.

Please note there is expected travel to the Welland Courthouse located at 102 East Main Street Welland, Ontario, as scheduled to support the prosecution of crime in the Niagara Region.

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.

Criminal Law Division's Mandate and Core Services

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:

• Conducting on a regular basis prosecutions, hearings, applications, motions, appeals and/or reviews 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] in St. Catharines, and the Superior Court of Justice
• Performing case management duties to support the efficient prosecution of criminal matters, e.g. screening, disclosure, pre-trial meetings in Niagara and supporting the Region as required remotely via SCOPE
• Ensuring timely and comprehensive responses are made to all substantive, procedural and policy requirements in the criminal litigation process
• Developing and maintaining technical skills to be able to communicate and work effectively with computer technology and databases made available to professional staff
• Performing special justice-related projects and involvement in community programmes as requested
• 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 for the purpose of enhancing communication between the parties and improving the administration of justice
• Assisting other counsel with prosecutions, research, etc.
• Providing legal support and advice to Justice Sector Partners, such as Police, Victim Witness, Probation and Parole

How do I qualify?

Mandatory

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

Legal Experience

• 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] and the Superior Court of Justice
• Experience in prosecutions of a serious and complex nature, including jury trials and homicides
• Knowledge of the Criminal Code of Canada, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, criminal law procedures, rules of evidence and case law
• Knowledge 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)

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

• Demonstrated judgment and analytical ability to determine appropriate legal remedies
• Demonstrated interpersonal, presentation and communication skills

Other Essential Skills

• Willingness and ability to travel to other court locations to support the prosecution team across the Central West Region and the Province as assigned
• Technical skills to work effectively with computer technology and databases made available to professional staff