1227-NOC

Court officers and justices of the peace

(NOC 1227)
Annual Earnings
$79,253
Typical Education Background
Diploma/Certificate Excluding Apprenticeship
Job Openings
(2022-2032)
190

Career Overview

Court officers and justices of peace:

  • Coordinate the administrative and procedural functions of federal, provincial and territorial courts, such as scheduling trials and overseeing the maintenance of court records
  • Administer oaths, issue subpoenas, summonses and warrants and perform other court-related duties such as conducting bail hearings
  • Work for federal and provincial courts

Duties

Court officers:

  • Co-ordinate administrative services and establish work priorities for court staff
  • Schedule court trials and arrange pre-trial conferences and hearings
  • Call courts of law to order, read charges and take pleas from defendants
  • Record court commencement, trial proceedings and judgements
  • Collect and record sheriff fees, transcription fees and other court administrative and services fees
  • Oversee the maintenance of judicial court records
  • Help in preparing annual budgets
  • Act as justices of the peace

Justices of the peace:

  • Issue subpoenas, summonses and warrants, including search warrants
  • Receive affidavits, declarations and affirmations
  • Administer oaths
  • Conduct bail hearings
  • Release defendants on judges' orders and explain rights and obligations
  • Hear evidence at trials on summary conviction offences
  • Preside over trials of criminal offences at the discretion of the chief judge of the jurisdiction or as provided for in federal, provincial or territorial statutes
  • Perform civil marriages

Special duties

The duties and responsibilities of justices of the peace vary significantly depending on the level of their authority. They may work part-time on a fee-for-service basis in small communities. Their duties range from receiving affidavits and similar documents, to presiding in courts and hearing and determining prosecutions under provincial/territorial and federal laws.

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$79,253

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$50.00/hr
Median$38.00/hr
Low$23.00/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2022 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

300

% Employed Full Time

54%
Source: 2016 Census

Work in this occupation is typically performed in a structured environment, such as an office, with time also spent in courtrooms.

Career Pathways

Promotion to senior positions such as senior court administrator is possible with experience.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Conventional
Conventional
Enterprising
Enterprising

Job Titles

Administrator, family court / judicial
Clerk of the Crown - courts
Clerk, court / probate
Commissioner, affidavits / marriages
Commissioner, marriages
Co-ordinator, court services / trial
Deeds, recorder
Judge, citizenship
Justice of the peace
Prothonotary
Recorder, deeds / wills
Registrar, bankruptcy / deeds / land
Registrar, court / court of appeal
Registrar, district court / family court
Registrar, probate / wills
Registrar, Queen's Bench / Supreme Court
Registrar, small claims court
Supervisor, court clerk

Education, Training and Skills

  • Court officers usually require a university degree in law, business or public administration or a college diploma in public administration or legal studies
  • Completion of a Justice registrar, Justice of the peace or other court training program is required for court officers and justices of the peace
  • Several years of experience as a Court clerk or in another court service occupation are usually required
  • Justices of the peace in the provinces are appointed by the lieutenant governor in council and, in the territories, by federally appointed territorial commissioners

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Business Administration/Management/Commerce
  • Law
  • Public Administration
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Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

68%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

67%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

66%
Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

64%
Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

59%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

58%
Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

55%
Judgment and Decision-Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

55%
Active Learning

Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.

54%
Complex Problem Solving

Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.

53%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

300
Source: 2016 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Employment (2022) % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 20 4.3%
Kootenay N/A 2.9%
Mainland/Southwest 270 69.6%
North Coast and Nechako N/A 5.8%
Northeast N/A 2.9%
Thompson-Okanagan 40 8.7%
Vancouver Island/Coast 50 13.0%
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2022-2032)

190
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2022-2032)

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 0 0.0%
Kootenay N/A N/A
Mainland/Southwest 100 1.1%
North Coast and Nechako N/A N/A
Northeast N/A N/A
Thompson-Okanagan 0 0.0%
Vancouver Island/Coast 0 1.8%
N/A: Data is not available for this region.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2022-2032)
Public Administration49,200
Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services46,100
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services148,000
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources

Resource information is currently not available.