Assistant Crown Attorney

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Apply By: Monday, November 16, 2026 11:59 pm EST

Assistant Crown Attorney

Job ID:

250934

Posting status:

Open

Organization:

Ministry of the Attorney General

Division:

Criminal Law Division

City:

St Catharines

Position(s) language:

English

Job term:

1 Permanent, 2 Temporary (up to 12 months secondment/contract with possibility of extension)

Job code:

OCAA - Crown Counsel

Salary:

Salary commensurate with legal experience

Apply now

Accessibility support

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.

Ensure public safety, through the effective and efficient prosecution of crime.

The Ministry of the Attorney General seeks three (3) Assistant Crown Attorneys.

About the job

The prosecution of crime is the core business of the Criminal Law Division and is a non-discretionary essential service required to provide public safety and security. Duties of an Assistant Crown Attorney include:

• Conducting prosecutions, hearings, applications, motions, appeals and/or reviews on a regular basis 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
• Developing and maintaining technical skills required to perform duties as assigned
• Ensuring timely and comprehensive responses are made to all substantive, procedural and policy requirements in the criminal litigation process
• Maintaining working knowledge of divisional initiatives and programs and participating on such projects as required
• Assisting other counsel with prosecutions and research
• Providing education and training to stakeholders and partners as assigned
• Keeping informed on office/regional/divisional/provincial initiatives, protocols and directives and implementing them to ensure consistent practices within the justice system, e.g. Justice Centres, Bail Best Practices Protocol, Criminal Modernization Committee, Case Management Protocol, Indigenous Peoples' Court, Domestic Violence Court Initiatives and the Direct Accountability Program

What you bring to the team

Mandatory requirements

You have membership in good standing as a lawyer with the Law Society of Ontario

Legal Skills and Experience

You have proven knowledge 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
• conducting jury trials and prosecutions of a serious and complex nature
• the Criminal Code of Canada,Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA), Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, criminal law procedures, rules of evidence and case law
• case management duties to support the efficient prosecution of criminal matters
• the role and function of a prosecutor in the criminal justice system in Ontario

Advanced Analytical and Communication Skills

You are able to:

• demonstrate judgment and analytical ability to determine appropriate legal remedies
• demonstrate interpersonal, relationship management, presentation and communication skills
• demonstrate oral and written advocacy skills

Essential abilities and skills

You are able to:

• travel to other court locations to support the prosecution team across the Region
• work effectively with technology including the presentation of evidence in a courtroom setting

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

What we offer

Who We Are

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 .

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.

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

Additional information:

Apply by:

Monday, November 16, 2026 11:59 pm EST

Position details:

• 1 English Permanent, 59 Church St, St Catharines, West Region, Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check, Intelligence, Local Police Databases Search, PIP/NICHE/RMS
• 2 English Temporary, duration up to 12 months, 59 Church St, St Catharines, West Region, Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check, Intelligence, Local Police Databases Search, PIP/NICHE/RMS

Compensation group:

Ontario Crown Attorneys' Association

Work hours:

Schedule 6

Category:

Legal Services

Posted on:

Friday, October 30, 2026

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 [email protected]

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.

Strengthening Ontario, together