Court Officer Judicial and Administration Job in Canada Recruiting by Government of Nova Scotia

About Us

The Court Services Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Justice is dedicated to excellent service and the provision of fair and accessible administration of justice, including court administration and security.

The Division provides administrative support to the courts listed: Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (including Family Division), Provincial Court, Family Court, Small Claims Court, Probate Court and Bankruptcy Court. The courts act independently from the government to address individual cases.

For more information on the Department of Justice Court Services please visit our website:

About Our Opportunity

As the Court Officer, you will have Court Administration duties or Judicial Support duties or a combination of both. You may coordinate and manage court hearings held in all levels of Court, provide support to the Judiciary, and act as the liaison between the Court, and members of law enforcement agencies, the legal profession, and the public. You will also act in the role of the clerk of the Court in all courts, including jury sittings and perform judicial and quasi-judicial duties as a Justice of the Peace. You will perform your duties in accordance with, and as assigned under, the Court Officials Act. 

Primary Accountabilities

The Court Officer may have two areas of focus, Court Administration and Judicial Support or just one area of focus. 

The Court Administration responsibilities include: 

The Judicial Support responsibilities include: 

Qualifications and Experience

As the successful Court Officer, you will have two years of post-secondary education in a related discipline plus five years related experience in a legal environment; an equivalent combination of training and experience with exposure to the justice system will be acceptable. 

For this position, your experience and competency in keyboarding, data entry, transcribing, and other standard computer applications including MS Office products are required. You will have experience with virtual platforms such as MS Teams and video conferencing.

You will also possess excellent proofreading, spelling and grammar skills. Your superior organizational abilities and strong prioritization skills, with a combination of speed and accuracy, assist with your attention to detail for a variety of tasks while meeting tight deadlines. You may also be required to have general accounting skills, scheduling skills and/or interviewing and assessing skills. You can work independently and as part of a team. 

You must be fair and impartial to all clients using a high degree of confidentiality while exercising your excellent interpersonal and communication skills, particularly listening skills, when dealing with difficult people in complex, sensitive and stressful situations. Tact and discretion are essential. 

You must demonstrate an understanding and knowledge of the Rules and Statutes that govern the courts as well as a sound working knowledge of legal documents, forms, court procedures and legal terminology. You will demonstrate a high level of initiative and problem-solving abilities and readily accept responsibilities. 

Training and/or experience in mediation and non-conflict resolution, legal research skills and bilingualism, with oral and written skills in English and French, would be considered assets. 

We will assess the above qualifications using one or more of the following tools: written examination, typing test, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks. Different testing is required to assess qualification for each the Court Officer Administration functions and the Court Officer Judicial functions.

Equivalency

Include, but not limited to: 

PLEASE NOTE: Candidates will not be considered for an interview if applications are incomplete or are missing information. Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application. Different testing is required to assess qualification for each the Court Officer Administration functions and the Court Officer Judicial functions.

Benefits

Based on the employment status and Union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as Health, Dental, Life Insurance, Pension, General Illness (Short and Long Term), Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs. Click here to learn more about our various benefits offering and eligibility criteria. 

Working Conditions

Additional Information

Candidates may be required to obtain training in Firearms Safety in relation to handling evidence and may be required to successfully complete the Nova Scotia Certified Transcribers qualification. 

This position will require an enhanced level of security screening for an external application. 

Some travel and overtime may be required. 

What We Offer