The Ontario Crown Attorneys’ Association (OCAA) was established in 1946.
Today the OCAA represents over one thousand Assistant Crown Attorneys and Crown Counsel. The OCAA promotes the continuing education and training of Crown Attorneys, Assistant Crown Attorneys and Crown Counsel who work across the province in trial and appellate courts prosecuting criminal offences. Our members come from a variety of backgrounds, gender identities and cultures.
Promoting Diversity and Inclusion
The OCAA is committed to promoting greater diversity and inclusion in all aspects of its operations. Specifically, we have incorporated equity, diversity and inclusion content into our annual education programming and will continue work on developing further initiatives. The OCAA also supports the participation of its members in continuing education programming that addresses issues of bias and better equips members of the legal profession to deal with each other and all members of the public in an open, impartial, and non-discriminatory manner.
Our Commitment
The OCAA is committed to ensuring its members are provided with high quality education. As our members interact with all cross-sections of society in Ontario, we will strive to deliver meaningful training to our members to address topics such as unconscious bias, gender identity and racial discrimination. The OCAA welcomes collaborations with other organizations seeking to ensure fairness and access to justice.
The OCAA also promotes better relations between its members and the employer including the regulation of employment relations, merit pay for performance compensation and benefits. The OCAA collectively bargains on behalf of its members with Management. The OCAA negotiated a Framework Agreement which commenced in 2000 and currently runs until 2057. As part of its mandate, the OCAA ensures that the Management is in compliance with the Collective Agreement and Framework Agreement, and is involved in grievances, merit pay for performance appeals and disciplinary matters on behalf of its members.
The OCAA actively promotes the professional interests of its members and the administration of criminal justice in Ontario. The OCAA has recently participated and made submissions on many systemic issues. The OCAA was represented at the Commission on Proceedings Involving Guy Paul Morin (the “Kaufman Inquiry”), the May/Isles Inquest, the Goudge Inquiry and was granted Intervenor Status in R. v. Leduc (an appeal to the Ontario Court of Appeal), Krieger v. Law Society of Alberta (an appeal to the Supreme Court ofCanada), R. v. Yumnu et al (an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada) and Groia v. The Law Society of Upper Canada (an appeal to the Ontario Court of Appeal), all of which looked at issues affecting Crowns and the administration of criminal justice. The OCAA also makes submissions to various other bodies, such as the Law Society of Upper Canada, on issues that affect its membership and the administration of criminal justice generally. The Association is also affiliated with national organizations such as the Canadian Association of Crown Counsel and the International Association of Prosecutors.