High Sheriff
There is a High Sheriff for each county in England and Wales, though the Shrieval Counties ("Shrieval" means anything to do with a Sheriff) are no longer co-terminous with administrative areas, representing a mix between the traditional counties and more recent local authority areas.
Role of High Sheriffs
Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county, but over time most of the responsibilities of the office have been transferred elsewhere or are obsolete, and the functions of the post are now almost entirely ceremonial. The only significant legal functions relate to the enforcement of High Court writs. All such writs are addressed to the High Sheriff, and are executed on his or her behalf by the Under-Sheriff, usually a local solicitor. High Sheriffs are required to appoint an Under-Sheriff on taking up the office. As part of its review of enforcement procedures the Government has indicated that it intends in due course to legislate to remove the duty of writ enforcement from the High Sheriffs.
Sheriffs' other functions are largely representational. They attend judges sitting in local courts and provide hospitality for them, and many are active in local and national schemes that reflect their historical functions, in particular National Crimebeat which seeks to keep young people from going into crime and the DebtCred scheme, which aims to improve standards of financial literacy, so that people are more aware of the dangers of debt, how to avoid it, and how to cope with it.
Appointment
High Sheriffs are appointed for a year. The post is unpaid (except for a nominal court attendance allowance), and the general expenses of the office are borne personally by the holder. The system of appointing Sheriffs reflects the antiquity of the office. It is the responsibility of each High Sheriff to provide the names of people suitable to serve in the future. These names are added to the list of Sheriffs, and every November at a ceremony in the High Court the Lord Chief Justice and three other judges formally add as many new names for each county as are needed to ensure that there are Sheriffs in nomination for each of the next three years. A Sheriff needs to own property in the county for which he or she is nominated. The following March The Queen, at a meeting of the Privy Council, formally selects one of the three nominated Sheriffs to serve for the next twelve months by literally pricking a hole through his or her name on the List with a bodkin.
Although the method of appointing Sheriffs may not conform to best practice in public appointments it should be seen against the background of an unpaid voluntary job whose functions are largely ceremonial, and of which the expenses can be considerable. Nonetheless the Government has encouraged, through the Association of High Sheriffs of England and Wales, a more inclusive and transparent selection system. Most Counties now have Committees comprising the Lord Lieutenant, the High Sheriff for the previous year, the current High Sheriff and the High Sheriff in nomination for the coming year, as well as community representatives, so that a systematic selection process can be carried on with an element of continuity and consistency. Over the last few years there has been a marked increase in the number of women Sheriffs and Sheriffs from ethnic minorities.
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