Originally the Office held many of the powers now vested in Lord Lieutenants, High Court Judges, Magistrates, Local Authorities, Coroners and even the Inland Revenue.

The Office of High Sheriff remained first in precedence in the Counties until the reign of Edward VII when an Order in Council in 1908 gave the Lord Lieutenant the prime Office under the Crown as the Sovereign's personal representative. Lord Lieutenants were created in 1547 for military duties in the Shires. The High Sheriff remains the Sovereign's representative in the County for all matters relating to the Judiciary and the maintenance of law and order.

Modern Precedence

Modern precedence is defined by a Royal Warrant of 1904, as amplified by a Home Office Memorandum of 1928 whereby the High Sheriff takes precedence in the County immediately after the Lord Lieutenant except when precedence is deferred to a Lord Mayor, Mayor or Chairman of the Local Authority when they are undertaking municipal business in their own district.

Functions of the Office

High Sheriffs are responsible in the Counties of England and Wales for duties conferred by the Crown through Warrant from the Privy Council including: Attendance at Royal visits to the County. The well being and protection of Her Majesty's High Court Judges when on Circuit in the County and attending them in Court during the legal terms. The execution of High Court Writs and Orders (through the Under Sheriff whose annual appointment is by the High Sheriff alone). Acting as the Returning Officer for Parliamentary Elections in County constituencies. Responsibility for the proclamation of the accession of a new Sovereign. The maintenance of the loyalty of subjects to the Crown. The Warrant of Appointment as High Sheriff remains valid even on the death of the Sovereign. In practice some of these responsibilities are delegated to the professional services, for example the protection of the Judges and the maintenance of law and order are in the hands of the Chief Constable of Police.

Nominations for High Sheriff

Nominations to the Office of High Sheriff are dealt with through the presiding Judge of the Circuit and the Privy Council for consideration by the Sovereign in Council. The annual nominations of three prospective High Sheriffs for each County are made in a meeting of the Lords of the Council in the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice presided over by the Lord Chief Justice on 12th November in each year. Subsequently the selection of new High Sheriffs is made annually in a meeting of the Privy Council by the Sovereign when the custom of 'pricking' the appointee's name with a bodkin is perpetuated. Eligibility for nomination and appointment of High Sheriff under the Sheriff's Act of 1887 excludes Peers of Parliament, Members of the House of Commons, Commissioners or Officers of Customs and Excise or Inland Revenue, Officers of the Post Office and Officers of the Navy, Army or Royal Air Force on full pay, clergymen whether beneficed or not and barristers or solicitors in actual practice.

Notification of Appointment

Following the 'pricking' of the High Sheriff in the Privy Council a Warrant of Appointment is sent by the Clerk of the Privy Council to him or to her in the following terms:

'WHEREAS HER MAJESTY was this day pleased, by and with the advice of HER PRIVY COUNCIL, to nominate you for, and appoint you to be HIGH SHERIFF of the COUNTY OF during HER MAJESTY'S PLEASURE: These are therefore to require you to take the Custody and Charge of the said COUNTY, and duly to perform the duties of HIGH SHERIFF thereof during HER MAJESTY'S PLEASURE, whereof you are duly to answer according to Law.'

The High Sheriff takes up appointment upon making a sworn declaration in terms dictated by the Sheriff's Act 1887. The appointment is for one year only except in the event of something untoward happening to the High Sheriff's expected successor when a High Sheriff must remain in Office until the appointment of a successor is executed. High Sheriffs are now encouraged by the Shrievalty Association of England and Wales to undertake duties to improve and sustain the morale of personnel of voluntary and statutory bodies, particularly those engaged in the maintenance and extension of law and order and the entire criminal system. It is an independent non political Office which enables the holder to bring together a wide variety of individuals and Office holders for the good of the community a High Sheriff serves. The High Sheriff receives no remuneration and no part of the expense of his year of Office falls on the public purse. In recent years High Sheriffs in many parts of England and Wales have been particularly active in the field of reduction of crime and the development of an anti crime culture, particularly among young people, through National Crimebeat and other similar initiatives.