court administrative officer

The work

Court administrative officers and assistants help with the day to day running of the courts and their supporting offices. Their duties include:

• booking dates and times for court hearings
• allocating cases to courtrooms
• preparing lists of the day's court sessions and keeping ushers informed
• making sure that judges, magistrates and lawyers have the right paperwork for the case
• following up the court's judgements after a hearing - for example, issuing court orders
• dealing with enquiries from the public.

Some administrative officers work in a separate section specialising in fines and fees. Their duties may involve:

• collecting fines
• sending out compensation or maintenance payments
• producing summonses
• helping people to complete forms.

Experienced administrative officers may assist in court by taking notes for the court clerk.

Hours and Environment

As a court administrative officer you will usually work between 9:00am and 5:00pm, Monday to Friday. You may sometimes need to work overtime if a special hearing is held in the evening or at weekend, but this is unusual. Part-time work, job sharing and flexitime may be available.

You will mainly work at a desk in an office, but may also spend some of your time in the courtroom. 

Skills and Interests

To be a court administrative officer you need:

• good organisational skills
• accuracy and attention to detail
• respect for confidentiality
• good communication and 'people' skills
• a calm, understanding and helpful manner
• the ability to avoid becoming emotionally involved in distressing cases
• good computer skills
• the ability to work well in a team
• an interest in the law.

Entry

To work in courts administration, you will usually need the following qualifications:

• Administrative Assistants – two GCSEs (A-C)/S grades (1-3) including English
• Administrative Officers – five GCSEs (A-C)/S grades including English.

If you have previous office experience you may be accepted without these qualifications. You may instead be able to take an aptitude test in the skills needed for the job, such as computer and communication skills.

District courts in Scotland set their own entry requirements, which may vary - you should check with individual courts.

Training

Training can vary between regions, but you will usually be trained on the job and attend some some in-house or external short courses.

In Scotland, you may be trained by your manager or by an Area Vocational Trainer. 

You may also have the chance to gain NVQ/SVQ Levels 1, 2 and 3 in Business and Administration.

Opportunities

In England and Wales, you will work for Her Majesty's Courts Service (HCMS), which oversees all magistrates' courts and crown courts in England and Wales. 

In Scotland, you could be employed by:

• Scottish Courts, an executive agency of the Scottish Executive that runs the 49 sheriff courts, the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary, or
• local councils, which are responsible for the Scottish district courts.

In Northern Ireland, you will work for the Northern Ireland Court Service, which is part of the Civil Service.

Jobs are advertised in the local press, in Jobcentre Plus and on the various Courts Service websites.

The promotion structure is from administrative assistant to administrative officer and then to executive officer or team leader. You may need to transfer to a court in another area to gain promotion.

With further legal training, you could become a court clerk or legal adviser to the magistrates' court (see the Court Clerk profile for more information).

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Administrative assistants are likely to earn £12,000 to £15,000 a year.
Administrative officers earn between £13,850 and £16,915 a year.
Section managers or team leaders can earn up to £20,000 a year.

Further information

Hayweight House
23 Lauriston Street
Edinburgh
EH3 9DQ
Tel: 0131 229 9200
Orchard House
40 Foyles Street
Londonderry
BT48 6AT
Tel: 028 7131 9900
Clive House
Petty France
London
SW1H 9HD
Tel: 020 7189 2000

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