14103 Court clerks and related court services occupations

What this occupation covers

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.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 22 main duties for this code.

• 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.
• 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 prisoners to and from courtrooms or elsewhere
• Maintain prisoner records.
• 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.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 4 of its 22 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 13111 Legal administrative assistants
• 12110 Court reporters, medical transcriptionists and related occupations
• 42200 Paralegals and related occupations
• 43200 Sheriffs and bailiffs

Excluded from this code

• Administrative assistant - judicial (See 13111 Legal administrative assistants)
• Court reporters, medical transcriptionists and related occupations (See 12110 Court reporters, medical transcriptionists and related occupations)
• Judicial assistant (See 13111 Legal administrative assistants)
• Law clerk (See 42200 Paralegals and related occupations)
• Sheriffs and bailiffs (See 43200 Sheriffs and bailiffs)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

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

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.