Court Usher

Typical Salary

£16,000 To £22,000

Typical Hours

36 to 38 a week

evenings occasionally

How To Become a Court Usher

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
applying directly

College / University

You could take a college course like a Level 1 or 2 Certificate in Business Administration before applying for work.

2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships relevant to this role include:

Level 2 Customer service practitioner
Level 3 Customer service specialist
Level 3 Business administrator

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

You could apply directly for jobs. You'll usually need at least 2 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) including English.

Experience in a similar role like customer service or office administration will be useful. Employers will also look at your personal qualities and life experience.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

administration skills
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to work well with others
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
customer service skills
legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
excellent verbal communication skills
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

In this role you could:

prepare the courtroom and meet and greet court users and visitors
keep people informed of changes to hearing times
check that witnesses, defendants and lawyers are present
call defendant and witnesses into court
direct the taking of oaths
label evidence and pass it to the judge and jury
pass messages between lawyers and legal advisers
keep order in the public areas
input data to the computer system, do filing and photocopying

In crown court cases, a 'sworn usher' swears on oath to stop anyone who is unauthorised from approaching the jury. In this role, you'll also:

escort the jury to and from the courtroom
be on duty outside the jury room
take messages between the jury and the judge
organise hotel accommodation if jurors need to stay overnight

Working Environment

You could work in a court or in an office.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could supervise a team of ushers, or become a court administrative officer.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can find out more about careers in the courts and tribunals service from Skills for Justice.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

pass enhanced background checks