Crown Counsel (Drugs and Driving Team)

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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 (MAG), Criminal Law Division offers an exciting opportunity on the Drugs and Driving Team as the Crown Law Office Criminal (CLOC) regional representative.

The Ministry of the Attorney General's vision is to create an innovative, sustainable and responsive justice system that inspires public confidence and upholds the Rule of Law; a necessary precondition for a just society. The Criminal Law Division has a responsibility to ensure public safety, through the effective and efficient prosecution of crime. The prosecution of crime is the core business of the division and is a non-discretionary essential service required to guarantee basic public safety and security.

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

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About the job

You will take a senior, specialized role to assist in the training and prosecution of Drugs and Driving cases.

Duties will include:

• Providing training and education to Crowns, police, Victim Services and Justice Partners on the investigation and prosecution of drug and alcohol driving cases
• Participate in projects and initiatives that enhance the efficient prosecution of drug and alcohol driving cases
• Providing related search and other litigation advice to police and Crowns
• Preparing resources and best practices to support Crowns dealing with drug and alcohol driving cases
• Providing strategic and policy advice to the Division on how to better enhance our prosecution of these cases
• Providing in court assistance on, and conducting prosecutions of, drug and alcohol driving cases and other cases as assigned
• Participating in inter-Ministerial and multidisciplinary teams on related issues as assigned
• Preparing written correspondence, briefing materials and legal advice for the Criminal Law Division and MAG
• Conduct appeals involving driving offences before the Court of Appeal for Ontario and Supreme Court of Canada

In this position, you will work as part of a provincial team, however the position reports to the Director of the Crown Law Office Criminal.

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What you bring to the team

Mandatory requirements

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

Legal Experience

• Excellent working knowledge of the Criminal Code of Canada, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, criminal law procedures, rules of evidence and case law
• Demonstrated understanding, awareness, and litigation experience in the prosecution of drug and alcohol driving cases
• Experience conducting summary conviction appeals in drug and alcohol driving cases
• Experience working on major/lengthy cases involving forensic/scientific evidence, voluminous amounts of disclosure, and complex legal and factual issues
• Experience providing legal advice and training on legal issues to the police and Crowns
• Knowledge and understanding of the role and function of a prosecutor in the criminal justice system in Ontario

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

• Proven interpersonal, presentation and communications skills
• Excellent writing skills
• Proven judgment and analytical ability to determine appropriate key issues and set priorities accordingly
• Proven ability to research, analyze and organize a principled approach to cases and issues
• Ability to work as part of a team within the criminal justice system and with community stakeholders

Other Essential Skills

• Technical skills to work effectively with computer technology and databases made available to professional staff

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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

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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

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Additional information:

Note:

• About security checks:
  A criminal or other federal offence record does not automatically disqualify you from the position. We consider each situation based on the position's responsibilities.
  If a check is needed and you've lived outside of Canada in the past 5 years for 6 or more months in a row, or if you are not a Canadian resident, you'll need to provide an out-of-country police clearance certificate from the country you lived in.
  Employment screening checks are only reviewed and evaluated by the Transition and Security Office, which also maintains them and keeps them strictly confidential.
• For issues with submitting applications, or questions, please contact CSMD.HR.LegalCompeti@ontario.ca

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How to apply:

1. You must apply online.
2. Your cover letter and resume combined should not exceed five (5) pages. For tips and tools on how to write a concise cover letter and resume, review the Writing a Cover Letter and Resume: Tips, Tools and Resources.
3. Customize your cover letter and resume to the qualifications listed on the job ad. Using concrete examples, you must show how you demonstrated the requirements for this job. We rely on the information you provide to us.
4. Read the job description to make sure you understand this job.
5. OPS employees are required to quote their WIN EMPLOYEE ID number when applying.
6. If you require a disability related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please Contact Us to provide your contact information. Recruitment services team will contact you within 48 hours.

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.

Exigences en matière de langue et évaluation:
Toutes les offres d'emploi externes de la fonction publique de l'Ontario (FPO) sont affichées en français et en anglais. Consultez la section « Langue du ou des postes » en haut de chaque offre d'emploi pour connaître les exigences linguistiques. Pour tous les postes, les candidats sont évalués en anglais, la langue d'affaires de la FPO. Si le poste est bilingue (anglais/français), vous devrez également passer un test de compétences linguistiques en français.