Senior Counsel

Important messages

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please use the Contact information below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Assessment accommodation

*** INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW ***

You must submit a complete application, consisting of screening questions which clearly demonstrate how you meet the screening criteria (education, occupational certification and experiences). The screening questions will be used as the primary tool in the screening process and the résumé will only be used to substantiate the information provided.

In your response to the screening questions, please provide concrete examples and the following MANDATORY information:

1. Name of the department or organization where the experience was acquired;
2. Title of the position occupied and duration for which you exercised the functions;
3. Specific details of tasks, projects, or accomplishments demonstrating how the experience was acquired.

Please note that point form, “copy and paste" from your resume and comments such “refer to my attached resume” will NOT be accepted. Failure to provide this information in the requested format WILL result in your application being rejected.

Intent of the process

The initial need is to staff one permanent position at the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes section of the Public Safety, Defence and Immigration Portfolio. A partially or fully assessed pool may be established to staff similar positions within the Department of Justice with various tenures, various linguistic profiles (bilingual imperative only), various operational requirements and/or various conditions of employment.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

Education:

ED - A law degree from a recognized university

Degree equivalency

Occupational Certification :

OC - Eligibility for membership in the Bar of one of the provinces or territories of Canada or in the Order of Notaries in the Province of Quebec.

Experience:

EX1 - Recent* and significant** experience in conducting complex criminal litigation.
EX2 - Recent* and significant** experience in providing legal advice to investigative agencies in the context of complex criminal investigations.
EX3 - Recent* and significant** experience in conducting legal research and analysis relating to criminal law, statutory interpretation, reasoning, development of legal arguments, and legal opinion/recommendation writing.

*Recent experience means that a portion of the relevant experience was acquired within the last 4 years.

**Significant experience is understood to mean experience normally associated with having performed a broad range of complex activities related to this task, which are normally acquired over a period of at least twelve (12) years.

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

Bilingual - Imperative (BBB/BBB)

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:

K1 - Knowledge of the Criminal Code of Canada.
K2 - Knowledge of the Canada Evidence Act.
K3 - Knowledge of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and its relevant case law.
K4 - Knowledge of the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act and its relevant case law.

Abilities:

A1 - Ability to analyze complex legal issues and provide legal advice.
A2 - Ability to communicate effectively in writing.
A3 -Ability to communicate effectively verbally.
A4 - Ability to work effectively under pressure
A5 - Ability to supervise the work of other counsel and subordinates.
A6 - Ability to demonstrate leadership (such as coaching and mentoring, influencing others and teamwork).

Personal suitability:

PS1 - Values and ethics – serving through integrity and respect.
PS2 - Thinking things through – innovating through analysis and ideas.
PS3 - Engagement – working effectively with people, organizations and partners.
PS4 - Excellence through results – Delivering through own work, relationships and responsibilities.

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience:

AEX1 - Experience conducting prosecutions involving International Criminal Law.
AEX2 - Experience in dealing with foreign authorities.
AEX3 - Experience in handling files related to International criminal law.
AEX4 - Experience in working with multidisciplinary teams.
AEX5 - Experience in dealing with the media.

Knowledge:

AK1 - Knowledge of international criminal law.

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS :

The Department of Justice is committed to maintaining a representative workforce reflective of Canadian society. In support of achieving a diversified workforce and our employment equity goals, qualified candidates who self-declare in a staffing process as members of Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, visible minorities and/or women may be selected for appointment to fulfill organizational needs including reducing representation gaps.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENT :

Willingness and ability to travel abroad.

Conditions of employment

Security Clearance: Secret

At the time of the appointment, the candidate must be a member in good standing of the Bar of one of the provinces or territories of Canada or in the Order of Notaries in the Province of Quebec, and remain so throughout the duration of his/her employment at the Department of Justice of Canada.

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

• Top-down selection or any volume management mechanism may be used during any stage of the selection process. Please note that achieving a pass mark on any of the assessment used does not mean you will move forward in the selection process. Management may decide to use a cut-off mark that is higher than the pass mark on any evaluation used throughout the process.

• Reference checks may be sought.

• An interview may be administered.

• A written examination may be administered.

• Candidates must meet the essential qualifications to be appointed to a position.

• Candidates may be required to meet the asset qualifications or the organizational needs, depending on the requirements of the specific position being staffed.

• Other qualifications may be taken into consideration in the selection decision.

• Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent; we will contact candidates when the screening process is completed.

• Please ensure that your Personal Record Identifier (PRI) is included in your application (if available).

• You must provide proof of your education credentials, upon request.

• Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred official language in their application.

• The Department of Justice encourages persons with priority entitlements to self-refer to our selection processes in circumstances where they believe that they meet the essential qualifications of the advertised position.

• For this selection process, our intention is to communicate with the candidates by email. Candidates who apply to this selection process must include in their application a valid email address and make sure that this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email).

• IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CANDIDATE TO ENSURE ACCURATE CONTACT INFORMATION IS PROVIDED AND UPDATED AS REQUIRED.

• Locations, dates and times for exams and/or interviews will be determined by the employer. Scheduling of alternative exam and interview dates will only be considered for religious reasons, death in the family, in cases of serious illness or for a reasonable reason approved by the selection committee. A doctor's certificate or other proof will be required.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans and to Canadian citizens, in that order, with the exception of a job located in Nunavut, where Nunavut Inuit will be appointed first.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.