The High Sheriff of

East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East ...

is a current title which has existed since 1974; the holder is changed annually every March. For around 1,000 years the county of Sussex was covered by a single

High Sheriff of Sussex The office of Sheriff of Sussex was established before the Norman Conquest. The Office of 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 ...

but after the Local Government Act 1972 the title was split to cover the newly created counties of East Sussex and West Sussex. The position was once a powerful position responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing law and order in the county. In modern times the high sheriff has become a ceremonial role, presiding over public ceremonies.

History

The office of High Sheriff is over 1000 years old, with its establishment before the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conq ...

. The Office of High Sheriff remained first in precedence in the counties until the reign of

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second chil ...

when an Order in Council in 1908 gave the

Lord-Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibilit ...

the prime office under the Crown as the Sovereign's personal representative. 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..

Roles and responsibilities

*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 wellbeing 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 (which is mainly achieved through the Under Sheriff) *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

High Sheriffs of East Sussex

References

High sheriffs of East Sussex
Notice category: State Notice type: Privy Council Office Publication date: 17 March 2022 Edition: The London Gazette Notice ID: 4012320 Notice code: 1106 {{High Shrievalties Politics of East Sussex

East Sussex High Sheriffs