Counsel / Prosecutor / Lawyer

Job Overview

Reference number : PPD25J-031788-000069

Selection process number : 2025-PPD-EA-NT-157805

Public Prosecution Service of Canada – Northwest Territories Regional Office. Yellowknife (Northwest Territories). LP-01, LP-02. Salary : $93,262 to $206,386 (LP-01 : $93,262 - $128,628; LP-02 : $130,382 - $206,386 plus a Northern Allowance).

For further information on the organization, please visit Public Prosecution Service of Canada.

Learn about Diversity and Inclusion at the PPSC. Click here.

Do our commitments align? Check out our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility – Action Plan 2021-2024. Click here.

Closing date : 31 July 2026 - 23 : 59, Pacific Time.

Who can apply : Persons residing in Canada, and Canadian citizens and Permanent residents abroad.

Apply online :

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The Federal Public Service is stronger and most effective when we reflect the diversity of the Canadian population we serve. The Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC) is dedicated to building a diverse workforce and an equitable, inclusive and accessible workplace culture. We are committed to being representative of Canadian society and ensuring that our workforce feels they belong. All candidates in the area of selection who believe they are qualified are encouraged to apply, especially equity groups like members of a racialized group, Black persons, persons living with a disability, Indigenous Peoples, and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Bringing your whole self to work each day is important to us. We are genuinely interested in understanding who you are and what your identity factors are.

Accessibility

Set yourself up for success! As the objective of this process is to assess qualifications needed for the position(s) to be staffed, it is important to us that you feel included and that you can participate without barriers. We are committed to improving accessibility in all areas of our organization and adopting a “Yes, by default” approach when necessary requirements are requested. You are encouraged to communicate your unique needs for accessibility and / or accommodation. For example, you may contact us if you need assistance in completing and submitting your application. Should you proceed to a future assessment stage, such as an exam or interview, we will send you an e‑mail with additional information and you can determine if you may require an accommodation at that time (such as, but not limited to, a different test format, an adaptive technology, additional time, a new date, etc.). Assessment accommodations are designed to remove the obstacles without altering the criteria being assessed so that candidates can fully demonstrate their abilities.

Please use the Contact information below to request accommodation during any phase of this assessment process. This information will be kept confidential and your right to privacy will be protected.

If you are unable to submit your application before the closing date, please do not hesitate to contact Olivier Boyard by email at HRAU-UARH@ppsc-sppc.gc.ca.

When you apply to this selection process, you are not applying for a specific job, but to an inventory for future vacancies. As positions become available, applicants who meet the qualifications may be contacted for further assessment.

Duties

The Northwest Territories Regional Office (NWTRO) is responsible for the prosecution of all Federal and Criminal Code offences in the NWT. The caseload of the regional office includes a high number of personal injury offences, including homicide cases, aggravated assault and assault causing bodily harm or with a weapon. The region actively reviews the files of high risk offenders and applies in appropriate cases for dangerous or long‑term offender status following conviction.

The regional headquarters is located in Yellowknife. Communities throughout the NWT are served by circuit in both the Territorial and Supreme Court and prosecutors travel by air to some 20 communities and by road to one community.

You will quickly gain a breadth of knowledge and experience as you work on a variety of prosecutions. Unlike in private practice, where little time is spent in court, prosecutors can go to court every day. You can acquire immediate trial experience that many private litigators must wait years to get. In addition, in Yellowknife, you will be tasked to deal with complex matters early in your career unlike in the Southern part of Canada.

Joining the Public Prosecution Service of Canada will be a transformative experience, both professionally and personally.

Work Environment

The Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC) is a national organization that prosecutes federal offences. We offer career opportunities for prosecutors, paralegals, legal assistants, and a wide range of business professionals. Our organization consists of approximately 1000 employees in regional offices across the country.

In 2023, we updated our Mission and Values to reflect our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation as well as Equity and Inclusion. The PPSC acknowledges the realities faced by individuals subjected to systemic discrimination and the significant over‑representation of racialized and Indigenous persons in the criminal justice system. The PPSC’s mission is to serve the public interest and help make Canada a safe and just society by conducting prosecutions in a manner that is equitable, objective and independent, while protecting the rights of every individual; and contributing to the change necessary to support a criminal justice system that is fair to all.

To learn more about the PPSC’s guiding mission and values, visit https : / / www.ppsc-sppc.gc.ca / eng / bas / mis-mis.html.

Every PPSC employee has a role to play in creating a work environment where every person can bring their whole self to work and feel valued and empowered to contribute. Being informed and influenced by our diverse employees helps change the heart and conscience of the PPSC. As part of the larger PPSC Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) governance structure, you can join one of five National Councils for Employees : Persons living with Disabilities, Racialized Persons, Black Persons, Indigenous Peoples, and 2SLGBTQIA+.

The PPSC also updated the Decision to Prosecute test, which provides clear guidance to prosecutors on how to be more proactive and conscious about recognizing bias, discrimination, and other factors contributing to over‑representation. Prosecutors now have a framework to consider background and systemic factors. These factors are considered not only as they relate to the accused, but also to the victim and affected communities, particularly Indigenous women and girls. It also seeks to clarify situations where the public interest may not require a prosecution.

Intent of the Process

This process is anticipatory. A list of qualified and / or partially qualified candidates will be established from this process to staff positions in the Northwest Territories Regional Office, with varying tenures, and varying language requirements according to the position to be staffed.

Please note that if successful and offered a position with PPSC, you would be required to relocate to Yellowknife. This process is not intended to staff positions in other locations. We thank you for your interest in the PPSC.

Upon appointment to the LP-01 position, the selected candidate will be placed in the Federal Prosecutors Development Program (FPDP). The FPDP is an organization-wide program designed to ensure that new federal prosecutors gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to be effective working‑level (LP-02) prosecutors typically within four years.

Appointments to the FPDP may be either term or indeterminate. Regardless of the initial appointment type, candidates may be eligible for an indeterminate appointment to the LP-02 level upon successful completion of the program.

Positions to be filled

Number to be determined.

Information you must provide

Essential Qualifications

• Occupational Certification : Eligibility for membership in the Bar of Northwest Territories.

Experience

Other Qualifications

Organizational Needs

The PPSC is committed to establishing and maintaining a workforce that represents the Canadian public we serve. We believe that a broad range of perspectives encourages effective prosecution and cultivates trust in our communities. Through intentional screening, assessment, and / or selection that may first consider candidates who self‑declare as members of the following groups, we aim to address the historical under‑representation of Black people, Indigenous persons

Operational Requirements

Knowledge

Competencies

Judgement (such as decision making, critical thinking, and adaptability).

Conditions of Employment

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.

Yellowknife sits on the shore of Great Slave Lake, the tenth largest lake in the world. There are many attractions, seasonal festivities and plenty of activities to take part in year round for everybody to enjoy.

Additional Benefits

Preference

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

Contact Information

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

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