Admin, HR, legal

Court usher

Court ushers make sure everyone involved in a case attends court and knows what to do.

Annual Salary

£18,000 to £24,500

Working hours

36 to 37 a week

You could work: evenings; occasionally

1.4%
Future employment

There will be 1.4% fewer Court usher jobs in 2029.
In your local area

What's it all about?

Day-to-day tasks

In this role you could:

  • prepare the courtroom
  • greet people entering court
  • check that witnesses, defendants and lawyers are present
  • call defendants and witnesses into court
  • label evidence and pass it to the judge and jury
  • input data to the computer system, handle post, filing and photocopying

Sworn ushers

If you work as a sworn usher in a crown court, you'll also:

  • stop unauthorised people from talking to the jury
  • take the jury to and from the courtroom
  • be on duty outside the jury room
  • take messages between the jury and the judge
  • organise hotels if people on the jury need to stay overnight

Working environment

You may need to wear smart business clothes.

You could work in a court or in an office.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly
College

You could do a Level 1 Certificate in Business Administration or a Level 2 Certificate in Principles of Business Administration.

This would give you some of the knowledge and skills you would need for this job.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 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
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
  • search for courses|/find-a-course
Apprenticeship

You could do a:

  • public service operational delivery officer advanced apprenticeship
  • customer service practitioner intermediate apprenticeship
  • customer service specialist advanced apprenticeship
  • business administrator advanced apprenticeship

These apprenticeships will give you some of the customer service and business admin skills you need to do the job.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 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
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
Direct application

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

You may find it easy to get a job as a court usher if you have experience in a similar job like customer service or office administration. Employers will also look at your personal qualities and life experience.

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

More information

Further information

You can get more details about careers in the courts and tribunals service from HM Courts and Tribunals Services.

With experience, you could be in charge of a team of ushers or become a court administrative officer.

You may also be able to work in central or local government.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

  • 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
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