The Court Security Officers (Designation) Regulations 2005

Made9th March 2005

Laid before Parliament10th March 2005

Coming into force1st April 2005

The Lord Chancellor, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by section 51 of the Courts Act 20031, makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement1

These Regulations may be cited as the Court Security Officers (Designation) Regulations 2005 and shall come into force on 1st April 2005.

Training requirements for court security officers2

1

Before a person may be designated as a court security officer, he must provide the Lord Chancellor with documentary evidence that he has completed one or more training courses which include instruction in the following –

a

the duties and powers of a court security officer;

b

risk assessment;

c

safe working practices;

d

managing stress when dealing with threatening situations;

e

techniques for restraining a person and removing them from a building.

2

Where the Lord Chancellor has designated a person as a court security officer, he may subsequently require that person to undergo –

a

further training in any of the matters mentioned in paragraph (1);

b

training in any other matter which the Lord Chancellor determines,

and the Lord Chancellor may make different determinations in respect of different officers, courts, court buildings and areas.

Proof of identity and other requirements3

Before a person may be designated as a court security officer, the Lord Chancellor must take the following steps:

a

obtain proof of the person’s identity;

b

obtain a declaration from that person as to whether he has any unspent criminal offences within the meaning of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 19742; and

c

make criminal records check.

Signed by authority of the Lord Chancellor

Christopher LeslieParliamentary Under Secretary of StateDepartment for Constitutional Affairs9th March 2005

(This note is not part of the Order)

Part 4 (sections 51-57) of the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39) makes provision about court security officers. These Regulations prescribe (a) training which must be completed by court security officers and (b) conditions that must be satisfied before a person may be designated as one.

Regulation 2 sets out the content of the required training. Regulations 3 sets out requirements about proof of identity, criminal record declarations and criminal record checks.