Job: FCD CASE MANAGEMENT OFFICER II (ASSISTANT JUDICIARY SUPPORT OFFICER)

The FCD Case Management Officer (CMO II) provides specialized technical and clerical functions in the Supreme Court in different areas of Court Administration as assigned by the Children Court Services Coordinator. Work involves assisting the judge or master with docket management, interviewing members of the public who come to the court to make pro-se applications and formulating their applications online.  Work also includes operating an electronic scanner, recording information received; indexing and summarizing legal documents; notifying all parties involved in hearings, conferences, mediation sessions, and directions hearings of date and time; and monitoring the time period of claims filed to ensure that appearances, replies and other relevant documents are filed within the stipulated period.  Work is performed with sensitivity and confidentiality.

The FCD CMOII may be assigned to any FCD location.

• Assists with the drafting of notices for court hearings, conferences and case trial reviews and notifies relevant parties of the dates for trial and pre-trial reviews.
• Checks information entered into the computerized system for completeness and creates files.
• Checks electronically the summaries of legal documents such as affidavits and amends as required.
• Maintains the time period for service of claims filed to ensure the appearances are filed within prescribed time limits.
• Produces reports on the filing of appearances and submits to the relevant section.
• Checks applications for default judgments to ensure that requirements are met.
• Notifies claimants of the filing of entry of appearance and updates the system accordingly.
• Liaises with relevant officer(s) to ensure that meeting rooms are available for meetings, then schedules meetings, as directed.
• Assists with the preparation of court lists for the Judge/Master by:
  • • retrieving files;
    • extracting relevant information;
    • ensuring that all relevant documents for hearing are filed; and
    • notifying parties such as attorneys-at-law and witnesses of the date, time and court of appearance
• Attends court hearing to:
  • • record minutes of proceedings;
    • enter log notes;
    • administer oaths to relevant parties; and
    • read statements, evidence and decisions of trial and submits to the relevant authority for approval.
• Receives, records, marks and secures all exhibits presented to the Court for safe keeping during the course of a matter.
• Schedules case events, when dates are given by a Judge or a Master.
• Works with the Judiciary Support Officer to ensure closure to matters by:
  • • drafting final court order of matter and submitting to relevant authority for approval;
    • collating and recording all documents related to specific court matters;
    • informing relevant authorities in respect of orders made by the court;
    • returning exhibits to relevant authorities;
    • completing relevant forms for payments to attorneys-at-law, witnesses; and
    • calculating amounts payable to witnesses and submitting to Accounting Unit.
• Checks orders for hearing submitted by attorneys-at-law and updates Judge’s/Master’s diary as necessary.
• Conducts systems checks of all electronic equipment before the start of court proceedings and reports any malfunctioning accordingly.
• Opens and closes court and meeting rooms before and at the end of the day’s proceedings.
• Provides on-the -job training for Data Entry Officers.
• Performs duties related to the conduct of auctions such as:
  • • verifying notice prepared by the attorneys-at-law to ensure compliance with order of the Court
    • checking daily newspapers and gazettes to ensure that notice of sale of property is advertised in accordance with order or the court;
    • conducting auction in accordance with laws/rules/procedures; and
    • related work as required.

• Knowledge of the rules and procedures of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago and Magistrate’s Court procedures.
• Capacity to easily develop knowledge of the Children Court Rules and Family Proceedings Rules.
• Knowledge of the practices and procedures of case flow management principles and methods used in the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago.
• Good knowledge of legal terminologies, abbreviations, and types of documents.
• Knowledge of the fees applicable to various legal documents.
• Knowledge of policies and procedures of the Department of Court Administration.
• Knowledge of the filing system used in the Department of Court Administration.
• Knowledge of the relevant software applications.

• Ability to identify legal documents.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
• Ability to deal sensitively with members of the public.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, legal practitioners, mediators, social workers and other professionals and the general public.
• Capacity to learn how to draft Court orders.
• IT skills and knowledge of the use of the relevant software applications.

• Experience gained performing routine specialized clerical work in the field of case flow management and Court Administration;
• Training as evidenced by the possession of five (5) GCE/CXC O’level passes including English Language;
• Qualified to sit the Basic Court Paralegal Course; or
• Any equivalent combination of experience and training