3

Hello I hail from the Uk but I do enjoy watching video recordings of usA court proceedings (I'm a fan of Sovereign citizen failure videos)

In these clips, it appears that there are people hired and appointed as 'the court bailiff'. They generally seem to be under the command of the presiding judge and can be asked to under take many different duties ( calling the court to order, etc.), or simple tasks such as bringing documents up to the judge if needed. In some of more 'excitable' videos I've seen it sometimes also includes taking people into custody for contempt of court or managing the security of court should a witness or defendant get out of control.

In the UK, a court-appointed bailiff is a very different role, and 'bailiffs' are often people the court appoints when there is a debt due, and the applicant wants to have the defendant's assets seized, or in housing court, if a landlord wants people evicted from a property so they are still the court's appointed 'physical muscle' as such, but they are mostly used outside of the court room. I'm looking to see if there is a UK version of the role I describe earlier, essentially an officer that is present within the court room to deal with such matters as unruly participants/ detaining people if needed.

Improve this question
2
  • 1
    Doesn't the usher cue the general proceedings, with the security officer in charge of restraining unruly people?
    – Weather Vane
    Commented Jul 19 at 17:05
  • 2
    FWIW, in the U.S. the Court Bailiff often has a dual appointment as judge's court clerk and bailiff, especially in rural areas. The out of court enforcement officer in most U.S. states is the county sheriff. The out of court enforcement officer in U.S. federal courts is primarily the U.S. Marshall's office. The position of Bailiff, of course, is a post of U.K. origin which apparently has disappeared with that title in its place of origins.
    – ohwilleke
    Commented Jul 19 at 19:54

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
3

The clerk, the usher, and the court security officer

The court clerk sits at the front of the court and prepares the laptops/screens that are used to present evidence during the trial. They read the formal charges to the court and take oaths from members of the jury. They also make notes during the trial. The court clerk wears a black gown.

The usher prepares the court room for the trial. They make sure everyone involved in the trial is taken in to the courtroom at the right time. The usher wears a black gown.

A court security officer is, in England and Wales, a person employed by either the Lord Chancellor/Secretary of State for Justice (the role was combined in 2007) or a private company as a "court officer" and designated by the Lord Chancellor under section 51 (1) of the Courts Act 2003:

The Lord Chancellor may appoint such officers and other staff as appear to him appropriate for the purpose of discharging his general duty in relation to the courts.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .