Thread by @HMCTSgovuk, Hello, I’m Helen and I’m a Crown Court Clerk with HMCTS. I’ve [...]

Hello, I’m Helen and I’m a Crown Court Clerk with HMCTS.

I’ve worked for HMCTS for 2 years and today I hope to give you a look at what my role involves.

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I have a degree in law and held various paralegal roles before I started this job.

I decided practicing as a solicitor wasn’t for me and instead use my legal knowledge to assist in the running of the Criminal Justice System.

I’ve not looked back since!

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I really enjoy my role and I think it suits me well. I’m responsible for ensuring everything runs smoothly in the courtroom.

I am often the first person into a courtroom and the last person to leave each day.

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Being a court clerk can be a wide-ranging job, from managing technology in court to helping all our users.

My role also involves recording key events during trials and hearings so it can be referred to later.

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I’m also a direct link between parties and the judge. I think the role played by my HMCTS colleagues and I is essential to the justice system functioning and running efficiently.

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I tend to start at 9am, preparing for the cases that are due to be heard in my allocated courtroom for the day.

Around 9.45am I will open the court and make sure all the technology, including the Cloud Video Platform (CVP) is working.

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That has become increasingly important now as we use CVP daily to support remote participation in hearings.

Before the pandemic I would ensure parties, who were expected, were present at court, but for remote hearings I confirm attendance virtually.

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I can work on up to 15 different hearings a day, so it is vitally important to keep on top of things and be well organised.

There are many types of hearings that can last from 15 minutes to an hour.

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It’s been a steep learning curve to adapt to new ways of working during the pandemic, but I think we’ve adopted them well.

I feel confident with IT so I’ve been happy to support my colleagues and the @JudiciaryUK where I can.

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The most satisfying part of my job is knowing that all the hard work goes towards something very important.

We’re here to support the administration of justice and I’m glad to be a part of that.

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It can be difficult to detach yourself from some of the harrowing cases we have to sit through in court – it’s very different to how it is portrayed on TV.

Everything moves very quickly and it’s important we stay professional and focused.

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I have a good support network around me in my role which helps me to do my job to the best of my ability.

This helps us to ensure that people who need the justice system are able to access it.

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It can be hard work, but my background in law means I enjoy what I do.

I have a genuine interest in crime which helps me to understand proceedings in the justice system.

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We’ve had to be incredibly flexible when managing court hearings during the pandemic.

We’re continuously adapting our ways of working – always to COVID-safety standards.

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We’ve implemented smarter ways to work throughout the pandemic.

I’ve been training a new clerk (sometimes over Skype) to make sure we comply with social distancing measures whilst also ensuring the essentials of the role are covered.

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This has been challenging as it’s usually straightforward to sit with someone and explain things to them.

However, these are not usual times and we must do everything we can to ensure people have the right training for hearings to run smoothly.

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My trainee clerk was recently praised by a judge for their calmness and professionalism in a difficult situation.

That was a proud moment for me from a trainer’s perspective!

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It’s incredibly important that we maintain the strong relationships we have with the judges we work with.

Delivering justice is a cross-organisational operation and I enjoy being that link between parties in court. @JudiciaryUK

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Away from work, my partner and I enjoy walking and we’re amateur 'twitchers'!

We really enjoy spotting new species that we perhaps haven’t seen before.

Despite my work, I’m also a big fan of crime documentaries!

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That’s all from me today.

Thanks so much for joining me and I hope I’ve been able to give you a glimpse into the life of a Crown Court clerk!

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A big thank you to Helen for making the time to talk to us about her important work to help keep the justice system running for all who need it!

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