Index
Intro
Court clerks and workers in related court services occupations perform administrative, security, and other support functions for courts of law such as scheduling trials, processing service fees, calling court to order, preparing court dockets and maintaining exhibits, recording trial proceedings and maintaining court records. They also facilitate court security and public safety, liaise with law enforcement organizations, and provide support to the judiciary. They are employed by federal, provincial, territorial and municipal courts and by police forces.
- Duties of court administrators may include those of court clerks or court officers depending on the location and size of the courthouse.
- Progression to supervisory or senior court service positions is possible with experience.
Main Duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
Court clerks
- Call courts of law to order, read charges, take pleas from defendants, swear in witnesses and perform other clerical functions in the courtrooms
- Prepare court files, court dockets and other documents
- Record main court proceedings, including pleas, names of witnesses, dates, times and rulings
- Manage care and custody of court exhibits
- Prepare documents for and participate in jury selection
- Update and maintain court office paper and electronic indexes and files on actions taken by court or in response to court decisions
- Receive, disburse and account for fines, fees and trust monies
- Assist the public in court offices.
Court officers
- Stock courtrooms with necessary materials before trials
- Escort the judge to the courtroom
- Maintain the security and safety of the judge and courtroom
- Monitor proceedings and uphold the rules and procedures of the court
- Read charges and take pleas from defendants
- Transport prisoners to and from the court house and detention centres, psychiatric hospitals, police divisions, or elsewhere
- Maintain the security of prisoners in the cell area of courthouses and while escorting them to the courtrooms, or elsewhere
- Maintain prisoner records.
Court administrators
- Coordinate administrative services and establish work priorities for court staff
- Supervise court clerks and other court services occupations
- Schedule court trials, pre-trial conferences and hearings
- Oversee the maintenance of judicial court records
- Assist in preparing annual budgets
- May assist in the management of personnel, operations, and the court facilities.
Employment Requirements
- Completion of secondary school is required.
- On-the-job training is provided for court officers, court clerks, and court liaison officers.
- Special Constable Certification may be required for court officers and court liaison officers.
- Court clerks and court officers may require a 1-2 year post-secondary diploma in office administration or equivalent.
- Court administrators usually require a 1-2 year post-secondary diploma, or may require a university degree in law, business administration, judicial administration, or related field.
- Some experience as a court clerks may be required for Court administrators.
- Experience in clerical services, administration and management, and personnel information systems may be required for court administrators.
All Titles
- Clerk of proceedings – courts
- Clerk of process – courts
- County court clerk
- Court administrator
- Court clerk
- Court clerk supervisor
- Court clerk-crier
- Court deputy administrator
- Court liaison
- Court officer
- Court services coordinator
- Court supervisor
- Courtroom clerk
- Courtroom officer
- Criminal court clerk
- Family court administrator
- Judicial clerk
- Judicial officer – court administrative services
- Judicial official
- Judicial services administrator
- Prosecution clerk
- Provincial court clerk
- Small claims court supervisor
- Supreme Court clerk
- Trial coordinator
- Youth court clerk
Exclusions
- Administrative assistant – judicial; judicial assistant (in 13111 Legal administrative assistants)
- Court reporters, medical transcriptionists and related occupations (12110)
- Law clerk (in 42200 Paralegals and related occupations)
- Sheriffs and bailiffs (43200)