About the job
Court officers coordinate the administrative and procedural functions of federal, provincial and territorial courts, such as scheduling trials and overseeing the maintenance of court records. Justices of the peace administer oaths, issue subpoenas, summonses and warrants and perform other court-related duties such as conducting bail hearings and performing civil marriages. They are employed by federal and provincial courts.
- Coordinate 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.
- Assist in preparing annual budgets.
- May be 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 and may 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.
- citizenship judge
- clerk of the court
- courtroom officer
- district court registrar
- family court administrator
- justice of the peace
- registrar of deeds
- small claims court registrar
- trial co-ordinator
For these jobs, good observational and analytical skills are necessary. You must be accurate and able to pay close attention to detail. Honesty and integrity are important. You also need good communication skills and an ability to work well with others.
- 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.
- Justices of the peace in the provinces are appointed by the lieutenant governor in council and, in the territories, by federally appointed territorial commissioners.
Typical of most government jobs, there are no significant seasonal patterns of unemployment in these jobs and people tend to work for the full year. Several years of experience as a court clerk or in another court service occupation are usually required. The duties and responsibilities of justices of the peace vary significantly depending on the level of their authority. They may be employed 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. Progression to senior positions such as senior court administrator is possible through experience.
Labour Market Information
This is not a large occupation in Nova Scotia so job opportunities may not be that frequent. With a large percent of workers being 55 years of age and older, retirements are expected to be a key contributor to employment opportunities over the coming years. Court Officers and Justices of the Peace most commonly work full-time hours. Furthermore, the jobs may either be permanent or temporary positions, as both are common.
The median employment income for 70% of Court Officers and Justices of the Peace who worked full-time, year-round in 2015 was $58,812. Across all occupations in Nova Scotia, 59% of those who worked full-time year round had a median employment income of $43,600.
(Source: 2016 Census)
Occupation | Estimated employment in 2018 | Estimated change in employment between 2017 and 2019 | Estimated openings due to growth and retirements, 2017-2019 | Estimated rate of unemployment in 2018 | Estimated hourly earnings in 2015 (learn more) | Estimated annual earnings in 2015 |
Court Officers and Justices of the Peace | 205 | x | x | x | Minimum: N/A Median: N/A Maximum: N/A | Minimum: $33,609 Median: $53,206 Maximum: $93,686 |
Occupations in Business, Finance, and Administration | 63,775 | Moderate growth | 6,600 | Low | Minimum: $13.00 Median: $21.03 Maximum: $35.90 | Minimum: $6,754 Median: $36,515 Maximum: $70,271 |
Court Officers and Justices of the Peace | Compared to: Occupations in Business, Finance, and Administration | |
Percent employed full-time | 91% | 81% |
Percent self-employed | 1% | 7% |
Area of Employment | Court Officers and Justices of the Peace | Compared to: All NS Occupations | ||
% Employed | Median Annual Income | % Employed | Median Annual Income | |
Southern | 13% | x | 12% | $30,581 |
Northern | 21% | x | 16% | $33,660 |
Cape Breton | 11% | x | 13% | $32,974 |
Halifax | 49% | $48,408 | 47% | $41,209 |
Annapolis Valley | 6% | x | 13% | $32,958 |

Age | Court Officers and Justices of the Peace | Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration |
% Employed | % Employed | |
15-24 | 9% | x |
25-34 | 17% | 6% |
35-44 | 30% | 19% |
45-54 | 39% | 36% |
55-64 | 9% | 28% |
65+ | N/A | 11% |
Median Age | 52 | 48 |

Gender | Court Officers and Justices of the Peace | Compared to: Occupations in Business, Finance, and Administration |
% Employed | % Employed | |
Female | 87% | 73% |
Male | 13% | 27% |
Education | Court Officers and Justices of the Peace | Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration | ||
% Employed | Median Annual Income | % Employed | Median Annual Income | |
Less than high school | 4.3% | x | 4.7% | $23,775 |
High school | N/A | $14,123 | 23.7% | $30,074 |
Trades certificate | N/A | $16,578 | 5.8% | $32,871 |
College certificate or diploma | 39.1% | $46,420 | 34.4% | $33,837 |
University certificate or diploma | 8.7% | x | 3.0% | $35,053 |
Bachelor's degree | 41.3% | $35,173 | 22.9% | $39,473 |
University advanced certificate or diploma | N/A | x | 1.7% | $40,672 |
Master's degree | N/A | x | 3.6% | $23,407 |
Doctorate | 8.7% | x | 0.2% | $48,614 |
Medicine, dentistry, veterinary, optometry | N/A | x | 0.1% | $41,688 |
Total | 100% | 100% |
Hourly earnings data are from the Labour Force Survey by Statistics Canada. Data are not available for all occupations. Hourly earnings are calculated based on usual hours worked per week. This is how an annual salary, for instance, gets converted to an hourly rate. The data include full and part-time workers along with new and experienced workers. Self-employed workers are excluded.
Annual employment income data reported in the Work Prospects section, are from the 2011 National Household Survey by Statistics Canada. Much of the data (around 70%) came directly from tax records. The data relates to the year 2010 and includes total wages and salaries and net income from self-employment.
Employment Requirements & Contacts
Training Paths & Education
This instructional program class comprises any program that generally prepares individuals to plan, organize, direct, and control the functions and processes of a firm or organization. These programs include courses in management theory, human resources management and behaviour, accounting and other quantitative methods, purchasing and logistics, organization and production, marketing, and business decision-making.
This instructional program class comprises any program not listed above that relates to Business Administration, Management and Operations.
This instructional program class comprises any program that focuses on the general study of business, including the processes of interchanging goods and services (buying, selling and producing), business organization, and accounting as used in profit-making and non-profit public and private institutions and agencies. The program prepares individuals to apply business principles and techniques in various occupational settings.
This instructional program class comprises any program that provides individuals with skills in negotiation, mediation, and arbitration, that can be applied to resolve disputes in a variety of settings, including business, legal, domestic, and labour relations.
This instructional program class comprises any program that prepares individuals for the independent professional practice of common or civil law, for becoming a Quebec notary, for taking bar examinations, and for advanced research in jurisprudence. These programs include courses in the theory and practice of the legal system, including the statutory, administrative, and judicial components of civil and criminal law.
This instructional program class comprises any program that focuses on the origins, resolution and prevention of international and inter-group conflicts. These programs include courses in peace research methods and related social scientific and psychological knowledge bases.
This instructional program class comprises any program that prepares individuals for the professional study of law at the post-baccalaureate level.
This instructional program class comprises any program that focuses on the systematic analysis of public policy issues and decision processes. These programs include courses in the role of economic and political factors in public decision making and policy formulation; microeconomic analysis of policy issues; resource allocation and decision modelling; cost/benefit analysis; statistical methods; and applications to specific public policy topics.
There are no additional resources for this occupation.