The prothonotary is the chief court clerk in certain courts of law in certain Anglo-American jurisdictions, including the American states of Pennsylvania and Delaware, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and the Supreme Courts of the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria.
The Prothonotary of the Victorian Supreme Court has responsibility for all administrative tasks of the trial division registry. Under the Supreme Court Act 1986 (Vic), and the accompanying rules, the Prothonotary also has some quasi-judicial powers including taxation of costs, conducting mediations, prosecuting contempt and administering bail.
Much of the work of the Prothonotary is delegated to specifically appointed Deputy Prothonotaries who, under the Supreme Court Act (s108), have the same powers and authority as the Prothonotary.