Clerks ensure that the judge is in the right place, at the right time, wearing the appropriate dress and with the correct papers.
Roles of the clerk to a High Court judge
Every High Court judge is assigned a clerk who provides first-line support based at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
The judges’ clerks are responsible for the management of the judges’ in-court and after-court diaries and are responsible for a full range of secretarial duties. Acting as a personal assistant they provide the judiciary with advice and guidance on varied aspects of court and ceremonial procedures.
Some judges undertake Circuit work up to three times a year for periods of usually six weeks’ duration. It is the clerks’ responsibility to manage the court sittings by liaising with the relevant circuit administrative staff ensuring that all case papers are in order and the judge is prepared for the trials. The clerk also transports the robes, documents and equipment to the circuit destination and stays in that location for the duration of the trial. The clerk is expected to continue managing the judge’s other commitments as though they were in London.
Judges’ clerks are employed by Her Majesty’s Court Service.