High Sheriff and Under-Sheriff
The office of high sheriff dates back over 1,000 years. The role is largely ceremonial but key duties include acting as the returning officer in parliamentary elections and attending high court judges sitting in local courts. The post is unpaid.
There is no special form of address for either high sheriff or under sheriff although the appointment may follow the name in official correspondence:
John Hill, Esq
High Sheriff of (County)
In speeches and introductions, the individual would be referred to by name followed by:
The High Sheriff of (County)
The title applies to both male and female holders of the office. The high sheriff takes precedence in the county immediately after the lord-lieutentant, 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.
Note: The office does not exist in Scotland where the title Sheriff refers to a different position.
