Court administrative officer

Court administrative officers perform administrative and assisting duties for the court and judges. They are designated to accept or reject applications for informal probate and informal appointment of a personal representative. They manage case accounts and handle official documents. Court administrative officers perform assisting duties during a court trial, such as calling out the cases and identifying parties, keeping notes, and recording orders from the judge.

The following job titles also refer to court administrative officer:

court clerk
court administrator
tribunal administration officer
court administration officer
tribunal administrative officer
court registrar
court usher

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Court administrative officer is a Skill level 3 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to court administrative officer.

court clerk
case administrator
legal assistant
legal administrative assistant
court bailiff

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of court administrative officer. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of court administrative officer with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

court administrator
court jury coordinator
prosecutor
justice of the peace
defence administration officer

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of court administrative officer.

• Accounting techniques: The techniques of recording and summarising business and financial transactions and analysing, verifying, and reporting the results.
• Court procedures: The regulations which are in place during the investigation of a court case and during a court hearing, and of how these events occur.
• Civil process order: The legal procedures and standards that courts follow in civil lawsuits.

These skills are necessary for the role of court administrative officer.

• Compile legal documents: Compile and collect legal documents from a specific case in order to aid an investigation or for a court hearing, in a manner compliant with legal regulations and ensuring records are properly maintained.
• Handle evidence: Handle evidence important for a case in a manner compliant with regulations, in order to not affect the state of the evidence in question and to ensure its pristine condition and usability in the case.
• Maintain logbooks: Maintain the required logbooks according to practice and in established formats.
• Respond to enquiries: Respond to enquiries and requests for information from other organisations and members of the public.
• Record court procedures: Record all the information necessary for proper record maintenance during court hearings, such as the people present, the case, the evidence presented, the sentence made, and other important matters which were brought up during the hearing.
• Observe confidentiality: Observe the set of rules establishing the nondisclosure of information except to another authorised person.
• Assist judge: Assist the judge during court hearings to ensure the judge has access to all necessary case files, to help maintain order, see the judge is comfortable, and to ensure the hearing occurs without complications.
• Manage accounts: Manage the accounts and financial activities of an organisation, supervising that all the documents are correctly maintained, that all the information and calculations are correct, and that proper decisions are being made.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of court administrative officer. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Legal case management: The procedures of a legal case from opening to closing, such as the documentation that needs to be prepared and handled, the people involved in different stages of the case, and the requirements that need to be met before the case can be closed.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of court administrative officer. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Follow work schedule: Manage the sequence of activities in order to deliver completed work on agreed deadlines by following a work schedule.
• Maintain court order: Ensure that order and is kept in court during a hearing.
• Monitor financial accounts: Handle financial administration of your department, keep the costs down to only necessary expenses and maximise the revenues of your organisation.
• Brief court officials: Brief court officials such as judges, barristers, and other representatives on the day’s events, the details of the cases scheduled for that day, attendance, and other matters pertaining court proceedings which are significant.
• Apply case management: Assess, plan, facilitate, coordinate, and advocate for options and services on behalf of a person.
• Present evidence: Present evidence in a criminal or civil case to others, in a convincing and appropriate manner, in order to reach the right or most beneficial solution.
• Comply with legal regulations: Ensure you are properly informed of the legal regulations that govern a specific activity and adhere to its rules, policies and laws.
• Keep task records: Organise and classify records of prepared reports and correspondence related to the performed work and progress records of tasks.
• Develop documentation in accordance with legal requirements: Create professionally written content describing products, applications, components, functions or services in compliance with legal requirements and internal or external standards.
• Ensure equipment availability: Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.
• Manage administrative systems: Ensure administrative systems, processes and databases are efficient and well managed and give the sound basis to work together with the administrative officer/staff/professional.
• Document evidence: Document all evidence found on a crime scene, during an investigation, or when presented in a hearing, in a manner compliant with regulations, to ensure that no piece of evidence is left out of the case and that records are maintained.
• Carry out end of day accounts: Execute end of day accounts to ensure that business transactions from the current day have been correctly processed.
• Develop account strategy: Create the strategic goals and actions for future interaction with an account for the organisation.
• Ensure proper document management: Guarantee that the tracking and recording standards and rules for document management are followed, such as ensuring that changes are identified, that documents remain readable and that obsoleted documents are not used.
• Apply technical communication skills: Explain technical details to non-technical customers, stakeholders, or any other interested parties in a clear and concise manner.
• Maintain operational communications: Maintain communications between different departments of an organisation, between the staff, or during specific operations or missions, to ensure that the operation or mission is successful, or that the organisation functions smoothly.
• Make numerical calculations: Work with numbers and perform complex calculations. An understanding of the basics of maths is crucial.

3411 – Legal and related associate professionals

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References

1. Court administrative officer – ESCO