Special constable

I am a special constable. In fact, I am a full-fledged police officer. I even carry a firearm on my belt. The courthouse is my territory. I make arrests and conduct investigations there when necessary, but general surveillance and keeping order are my main functions.

I work in the courtrooms as well as in the halls and the offices of the staff. Some people think that I don’t do anything, but this is not the case. A quiet morning can easily turn into a circus. Even if everything goes well most of the time, a day in criminal court is not exactly a gathering of the school chess club.

In the halls, interaction between witnesses, victims, and accused can sometimes lead to fireworks. Even if these situations are fairly rare, I stay vigilant to ensure that everything unfolds calmly.

In the courtroom, I make sure that the rules of the court are respected, like the rule prohibiting cameras, recorders, pagers, and cellphones. I also ensure that silence and decorum, necessary for the smooth running of the hearings, are maintained in the courtrooms. If a member of the public becomes agitated or talks during the proceedings, I intervene quickly but discreetly to put an end to this behaviour. You should know that chewing gum, sleeveless shirts, shorts, sandals, hats and caps, among other things, are not tolerated in the courtroom.

When a judge is about to send an accused into detention, he lets me know. With my colleagues, I come to the courtroom to help the corrections officers. We stay ready to step in in case of an escape attempt. When the judges move from one part of the courthouse to another, I escort them, especially when they have to travel through a hallway where members of the public may be present.

On occasion, the judge forbids the public from entering the courtroom. This is called an in camera hearing. In that case, I make sure that only people authorized by the judge enter the courtroom.

When an offence is committed in the courthouse, the special constables are the ones who investigate and make a report. I can also make arrests. But arrests always happen in the hallway–never in the courtroom–because this would unnecessarily disturb the hearings.

The next time you come to the courthouse, you should feel safe because I am there. Even if you have no problems to report, feel free to come and talk to me – it would be a pleasure to meet you.