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 position is based in Hamilton with service provided to all of Central West Region as required.

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

Additional Information:

Note:

• In accordance with the Ontario Public Service (OPS), Employment Screening Checks Policy (ESCP), the top candidate(s) may be required to undergo a security screening check. Refer to the above to determine the screening checks that are required for this position.
  
  Required security screening checks along with your written consent, will be sent to the Transition and Security Office (TSO), Corporate Talent Programs Branch, Talent and Leadership Division to evaluate the results. If applicable, the TSO, with your written consent, will request and obtain any additional employment screening checks that were not obtained directly by you.
  
  A record under the Criminal Code and/or other federal offence record(s) does not automatically mean you will be ineligible for the position. The employment screening check(s) will only be reviewed and evaluated by the TSO for the purpose of making a security clearance decision. The details of an individual's employment screening check(s) will be considered in specific relation to the duties and responsibilities of the position being filled. Employment screening check records will be maintained by the TSO and kept strictly confidential.
• For issues with submitting applications, or questions, please contact CSMD.HR.LegalCompeti@ontario.ca

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.

All external applicants (including former employees of the Ontario Public Service) applying to a competition in a ministry or Commission public body must disclose (either in the cover letter or resume) previous employment with the Ontario Public Service. Disclosure must include positions held, dates of employment and any active restrictions as applicable from being rehired by the Ontario Public Service. Active restrictions can include time and/or ministry-specific restrictions currently in force, and may preclude a former employee from being offered a position with the Ontario Public Service for a specific time period (e.g. one year), or from being offered a position with a specific ministry (either for a pre-determined time period or indefinitely). The circumstances around an employee's exit will be considered prior to an offer of employment.

Remember: The deadline to apply is Monday, November 18, 2024 11:59 pm EST. Late applications will not be accepted.

We thank you for your interest. Only those selected for further screening or an interview will be contacted.

All Ontario Public Service external job advertisements are posted in English and French. To confirm the language requirements of a job, check the "language of position" information at the top of each job ad. For all positions, candidates will be assessed in English, the business language of the Ontario Public Service. For English/French designated bilingual positions, candidates will also be assessed through French-language proficiency testing.

Toutes les offres d'emploi externes de la fonction publique de l'Ontario sont affichées en anglais et en français. Pour connaître les exigences linguistiques, vérifiez les renseignements sur la « langue du poste » figurant dans le haut de chaque offre d'emploi. Pour tous les postes, l'évaluation des candidates et candidats se fera en anglais, la langue usuelle de la fonction publique de l'Ontario. En ce qui concerne les postes désignés bilingues, la maîtrise du français des candidates et candidats sera également évaluée.

Note: The only website where you can apply on-line for positions with the Ontario Public Service is http://www.gojobs.gov.on.ca

Apply Online