Job Title: Crown Court Clerk
Grade: Executive Officer (EO)
The key purpose of the Crown Court Clerk Role is to
To manage the courtrooms to ensure that cases are dealt with promptly in liaison with judiciary, legal professionals and staff and to ensure that all results are accurately & promptly recorded in line with targets. Also, to ensure that all ancillary duties are carried out effectively.
Overview
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is an agency of the Ministry of Justice. We provide support for the legal system across England and Wales, along with non-devolved tribunals in Scotland and Northern Ireland, ensuring justice works for everyone.
Our Justice system defends our fundamental rights and freedoms. It is a cornerstone of our modern society. It protects some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, from families in crisis to claimants and commercial businesses. We have a responsibility to deliver a Justice system that is accessible to everyone and operates efficiently.
Essential Skills & Criteria:
Able to speak publicly and within a Crown Court
Excellent communication, organisational and prioritisation skills
Ability to complete documents accurately and to deadlines
IT proficient with the ability to learn and adapt to different technologies and software
Key responsibilities:
Administration
To ensure that a comprehensive log is kept of representation orders and that a judge’s report is available at all sentence hearings.
To accurately prepare case summaries for Resident Judge.
To determine accurately witnesses’ expenses within target times and provide written reasons within guidelines when requested.
Producing orders in line with Service Level Agreement targets.
Process general correspondence within target and procedural deadlines for any resulting amendments.
Ensure compliance with financial and operational risk management policies
Undertake any given tasks as part of the role i.e., PA Role to Judiciary when needed; arranging marshalling and swearing in of Magistrates.
Operations
To ensure efficient through put of listed work in the allocated court room daily, giving appropriate support to judiciary and keeping the List Office and other agencies fully appraised of developments when necessary.
Confident public speaking and can adapt and change at short notice.
You are the focal point of the court room, the ability to control and project your public speaking.
To meet with the Judge before sitting and to be available in Court as needed.
To maintain full recording of hearings using the right technology ensuring accurate audio allocation to correct cases.
To sit in court daily and ensure that cases called on time, all parties are in court at appropriate time. Correct phraseology used for arraignment, empanelling, taking verdicts
To maintain the court file including accurate recording of relevant matters and judicial decisions, accurate completion of forms, orders and results exported/shared onto the relevant Courts computer systems within Target.
Carry out 100% HMCTS assurance programme compliance of all Resulting and ensure risks are identified and managed.
Ensure that appropriate codes of conduct are applied to the Courtroom and other areas of the Court premises whilst sitting and during adjournments and to actively intervene and encourage compliance.
To ensure that obligations under the Victim Code and the standards under the Witness Charter are complied with.
Ensure all court users are treated fairly and with respect and understand how their own performance impacts on that of the court and the confidence of users.
Systems being used include emails, Microsoft Teams, Video Hearing Systems, Xhibit and HMCTS Common Platform.
Ensure that appropriate files are passed to administration teams within agreed target times.
Take part in and deliver employee engagement activities to effect good working relationships with staff and to improve service delivery and staff morale / motivation.
Follow HMCTS values, policies and procedures (including diversity, attendance and discipline).
Maintain effective working relationships with the judiciary, supporting agencies, voluntary and user groups. Working with agencies to improve the level of service offered to users.
Apply Continuous Improvement principles, tools and techniques to working practices to improve efficiency of operations.
Perform any Incident Control Duties as needed in the ‘in court role’
Team leadership
All Grade EO staff are expected to deal with other ad hoc management roles including line management of AA (Admin Assistant) / Ushers and AO (Admin Officer) staff as needed.
Processing and managing casework
Work with staff to ensuring that casework is appropriately managed, providing information / advice where process deviations have occurred
Calculations and analysis
Identify and implement solutions to local problems, referring more complex problems to their line manager
Communicating with the public, juries, the judiciary, other court and tribunal users and representatives of other agencies and organisations
Ensure effective and prompt liaison with Judiciary, Counsel, List Officer, Jury Officer, Ushers and Court users to maintain high levels of court performance.
Ensure Customer Standards are maintained and improved; complaints and dealt within target and in line with HMCTS Complaints Handling Policy and any feedback on lessons learnt is shared with staff.
Representation
Represent the function you have been assigned to at an operational level.
Specialisms
To have a working knowledge of functions across the business, to support the development and review of policies and procedures.
To provide specific functions as directed by line management in line with the procedure for providing that service.
Accountability
Reporting to a Delivery Manager.
Other duties
The post holder is required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post.