Court usher
Court ushers make sure everyone involved in a case attends court and knows what to do.
What you'll do
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 could work in a court or in an office.
You may need to wear smart business clothes.
Career path and progression
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.
What it takes
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
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
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
More Information
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
More Information
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.
Further information
You can get more details about careers in the courts and tribunals service from HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.