Counsel

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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.

Are you a strategic thinker looking to apply your policy and legal skills to a project that seeks to transform and integrate the delivery of justice in Ontario? Consider this exciting opportunity in the Criminal Law Division where you will be contributing to a project team focused on developing Ontario's Justice Centres.

Ontario's Plan for Justice Centres:

Introduced in over 80 communities around the world, Justice Centres move justice out of the traditional courtroom and into a community setting. These Centres bring together justice, health, employment, education and social services to address the root causes of crime, break the cycle of offending, and improve public safety and community well-being. Tailored to the unique needs of local communities, justice centres co-locate justice facilities (e.g. courtrooms) with front-end supports (e.g. primary healthcare, Restorative Justice programming, mental health supports), prevention services (e.g. employment and skills training) and community re-integration supports (e.g. peer counselling). Each Justice Centre is designed by and for the community it serves to improve outcomes for offenders, victims and communities by holding individuals accountable for their offences while connecting them to services that reduce the risk of re-offending. Central to the approach is a commitment to better support victims and communities harmed by crime.

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About the job

What can I expect to do in this role?

The successful candidate will play a key role in developing strategic policy for Ontario's Justice Centres and Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy, bringing expertise and leadership to a team composed of legal and policy professionals with experience in criminal justice and social services.

Duties will include:

• Providing strategic legal and policy advice to the Executive Director, senior Ministry officials, including the Assistant Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, and the Attorney General and Minister's Office, on the establishment and continued successful operation of Justice Centres in Ontario.
• Working closely within the Ministry of the Attorney General and partner ministries in addition to the Ontario Court of Justice on the development of cross-sectoral policy, programs and operations of Ontario's Justice Centres
• Developing and coordinating the Ministry's policy submissions for consideration by Cabinet and its committees
• Researching and analyzing innovative criminal justice reforms and developments
• Preparing written products, such as briefing notes and presentation decks, and providing oral briefings, as requested

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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

Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of Ontario's criminal justice system, including knowledge of legal, policy and program delivery issues associated with the justice system
• Knowledge of the structures of the justice system, the unique roles of the Attorney General, the judiciary and the bar, and the influence of such structures and roles on the actions of government
• Knowledge of the Canadian Constitution, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the statutes of Ontario and common legal precepts to interpret statutes, provide legal and strategic advice that reflect the ministry's responsibilities within the justice system
• Knowledge of government decision-making and policy development processes, and the role played by central agencies and line ministries
• Expertise in policy development, and extensive knowledge of the factors that affect public policy
• Knowledge of government operations, including linkages between policy, legislative, communications and fiscal processes
• Capacity and interest to work collaboratively with policy and legal professionals across government
• Capacity to interact on a professional footing with representatives of the judiciary, the private bar and other justice sector partners and stakeholders
• Issues management and problem-solving skills and experience anticipating and managing contentious legal, policy and communication issues
• Analytical and strategic legal and policy development skills, research skills, and advocacy skills
• Team/project leadership, management skills and coordination

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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.