Allegations of sexual harassment, "barbaric treatment", abuse of power, bullying and intimidation involving employees of a South Australian court office have been presented to a parliamentary inquiry.

Key points: Sheriff's Office staff are responsible for the custody of prisoners appearing in court

Sheriff's Office staff are responsible for the custody of prisoners appearing in court Some current and former staff have told a parliamentary inquiry of their experiences

Some current and former staff have told a parliamentary inquiry of their experiences One told the inquiry the workplace culture has improved in recent years

Former and current employees of the Sheriff's Office made the claims, involving other staff, during the inquiry which is currently examining the state's Courts Administration Authority (CAA) and its handling of complaints.

Sheriff's Office staff are responsible for the security of South Australian court buildings and the custody of prisoners while appearing in court.

One former employee wrote that she left the office nine years ago because she was subjected to "misconduct, abuse of power, harassment and bullying".

"I was forced to give my private medical records to the Sheriff's department to prove I had a miscarriage … I was subjected to barbaric treatment," the former employee said in a submission.

"Many of the people that ruined my life through their apparent inhumanity are presently still employed [in] the Sheriff's department."

Another said a colleague had "sexually harassed" them, adding that they had "witnessed volumes of unsavoury behaviour … most of which was left and unreported".

According to a written submission, those allegations included: "Inappropriate handling of valid staff complaints. Victimisation and segregation between staff members. Compromises of other people's safety. Continual breaches of policies and procedures."

Other former employees also claimed to have been the target of bullying and harassment, with one saying the workplace had a "poor" culture.

Several current employees also made submissions to the inquiry stating their support for current management.

One employee based in the Sir Samuel Way Building in Adelaide said the culture had improved in recent years, but it had been a slow process.

"Over the last 23 years I have been subjected to sexual harassment, bullying and harassment in general by many staff within the CAA," the woman wrote.

"I felt as a young single female I would not have been supported or believed and I was petrified of losing my job or being labelled as a 'dobber' or weak.

"For many years I did not mention these incidents to anyone or make any formal complaint … I was after all a sole parent and needed to support my young family.

"In recent years I have gained more confidence in myself and in the management team … I believe the Sheriff's Office and the managers are being proactive and working together to stamp out these behaviours."

'Not always necessary' to interview witnesses

The parliamentary inquiry also heard from State Courts Administrator Julie-Anne Burgess.

Ms Burgess told the inquiry that when complainants came forward with witnesses to corroborate misconduct, they were not always interviewed.

Julie-Anne Burgess told the inquiry morale within the office was high. ( ABC News )

"The investigator makes a decision about how many witnesses they interview, but it's not always necessary to interview all witnesses in order to form a view about the complaint that's been made," Ms Burgess said.

"They've usually arrived at a conclusion and said 'you're just going to get more of the same' in terms of information.

"It's a cost to the public to continue to gather information that's going to already be within what's collected."

That comment sparked incredulity from committee members, including Liberal MP Dennis Hood.

"It strikes me as unusual that an investigator may decide not to interview all witnesses, particularly if it's a serious matter," he said.

Ms Burgess insisted employee morale was overall "reasonably high".

"We're an organisation that's undergoing change in relation to both buildings and the implementation of an IT system," she told the committee.

"There are pockets of the organisation that are feeling quite unsettled at the moment, and others who are quite comfortable and the morale is quite high."

In a subsequent statement, Ms Burgess said the CAA "welcomed the opportunity to appear before the Committee today".

"As the inquiry is ongoing, and the CAA has further appearances, it would be inappropriate to provide comment," she said.

The parliamentary committee is expected to meet again within weeks.