A high sheriff is a ceremonial officer for each shrieval county of England and Wales and Northern Ireland or the chief sheriff of a number of paid sheriffs in U.S. states who outranks and commands the others in their court-related functions. In Canada, the High Sheriff provides administrative services to the supreme and provincial courts.
58-788: South Wiltshire , formally known as the Southern division of Wiltshire or Wiltshire Southern was a county constituency in the county of Wiltshire in South West England . It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , elected by the bloc vote system. The constituency was created under the Reform Act 1832 for the 1832 general election , and abolished under
116-458: A High Court judge opening ceremony, proclamation of a new sovereign, and acting as a returning officer in county constituencies during elections. Theoretical responsibilities include the well-being and protection of High Court judges, and attending them in court; and the maintenance of the loyalty of subjects to the Crown. However, most of the high sheriff's work is delegated (for example,
174-515: A by-election. Herbert was appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies , requiring a by-election. Herbert was appointed Secretary of State for War , requiring a by-election. Herbert was elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord Herbert of Lea and causing a by-election. Thynne was appointed Treasurer of the Household , requiring a by-election. Pleydell-Bouverie was appointed Treasurer of
232-420: A few cases one). From 1535 each Welsh county and borough was represented, by one knight or burgess. The franchise was restricted differently in different types of constituency; in county constituencies forty shilling freeholders (i.e. landowners) could vote, while in boroughs the franchise varied from potwallopers , giving many residents votes, to rotten boroughs with hardly any voters. A county borough
290-697: A form or degree of mixed-member proportional representation . The existing constituencies were created, effectively, for the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, in 1999. When created, all but two had the names and boundaries of Westminster constituencies. The two exceptions were the Orkney Holyrood constituency , covering the Orkney Islands council area , and the Shetland Holyrood constituency , covering
348-448: A more suitable label cannot be found. Where used, "The compass point reference used will generally form a prefix in cases where the rest of the constituency name refers to the county area or a local council, but a suffix where the rest of the name refers to a population centre." This is the reason for the difference in naming between, for example, North Shropshire (a county constituency ) and Reading West (a borough constituency ). In
406-608: A number of single-member first-past-the Post constituencies, matching the way Westminster MPs are elected. Following the decision that all MEPs should be elected by some form of proportional representation , the Labour government passed the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999 , creating eleven constituencies on Great Britain, which were first used in 1999 . The South West England constituency
464-501: Is a very plausible period for the introduction of sheriffs, especially in the south." The office reached the height of its power under the Norman kings. While the sheriffs originally had been men of great standing at court, the 13th century saw a process whereby the office devolved on significant men within each county, usually landowners. The Provisions of Oxford (1258) established a yearly tenure of office. The appointments and duties of
522-486: Is believed to date back to a year in the reign of Elizabeth I , when, lacking a pen, she decided to use her bodkin to mark the name instead. By contrast, Lord Campbell stated, perhaps without the intention of publication, in February 1847, "[it began] in ancient times, sir, when sovereigns did not know how to write their names." while acquiring a prick and a signature from Queen Victoria as Prince Albert asked him when
580-687: Is in the Holyrood area of Edinburgh , while the main meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom is the Palace of Westminster , in the City of Westminster . There are 73 Holyrood constituencies covering Scotland , and each elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first-past-the-post system . Also, the constituencies are grouped into eight electoral regions, and each of these regions elects seven additional members , to produce
638-526: The 2005 United Kingdom general election , the House of Commons had 646 constituencies covering the whole of the United Kingdom. This rose to 650 in the 2010 election following the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies . Each constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the " first-past-the-post " system of election. The House of Commons is one of the two chambers of
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#1732798542839696-621: The Acts of Union 1707 , Scottish burghs were grouped into districts of burghs in the Parliament of Great Britain , except that Edinburgh was a constituency in its own right . After the Acts of Union 1800 , smaller Irish boroughs were disenfranchised, while most others returned only one MP to the United Kingdom Parliament. The Reform Act 1832 reduced the number of parliamentary boroughs in England and Wales by eliminating
754-566: The Duchy of Cornwall Office. The High Sheriff of Durham was appointed by the Prince-Bishop of Durham until 1836, when the jurisdiction of the county palatine became vested in the Crown. Since then the high sheriffs of Durham have been appointed in the same way as other high sheriffs in England and Wales. After an act of Parliament in 1535/6 ended the palatine status of the Isle,
812-696: The European Parliament , prior to the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union (see European Parliament constituency ). In local government elections (other than for the London Assembly) electoral areas are called wards or electoral divisions . House of Commons, Scottish Parliament, Senedd and Northern Ireland Assembly constituencies are designated as either county or borough constituencies, except that in Scotland
870-624: The High Sheriff of Greater Manchester and High Sheriff of Merseyside also come under the jurisdiction of the Duchy of Lancaster . As with other counties in England, three names are nominated to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for Lancashire appointments; the chancellor presents these to the monarch with his recommendation in a private audience. New appointments are usually announced during Hilary . The nomination of sheriffs in
928-491: The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election . 1832–1885 : The Hundreds of Kinwardstone, Heytesbury, Branch and Dole, Elstub and Everley, Amesbury, Warminster, Mere, South Damerham, Downton, Chalk, Dunworth, Cawden and Cadworth, Frustfield, Alderbury, Underditch, and Westbury. Herbert was appointed Secretary at War , requiring a by-election. Herbert was appointed Secretary at War , requiring
986-531: The Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004 , which enabled the creation of a new set of Westminster constituencies without change to Holyrood constituencies. The new Westminster boundaries became effective for the 2005 United Kingdom general election . There are 40 Senedd constituencies covering Wales , and each elects one Member of the Senedd (MS) by the first-past-the-post system . Also,
1044-580: The Shetland Islands council area . For Westminster elections, these council areas were covered (and still are covered) by the Orkney and Shetland Westminster constituency . In 1999, under the Scotland Act 1998 , the expectation was that there would be a permanent link between the boundaries of Holyrood constituencies and those of Westminster constituencies. This link was broken, however, by
1102-546: The bicameral Parliament of the United Kingdom , the other being the House of Lords . There are fourteen London Assembly constituencies covering the Greater London area, and each constituency elects one member of the assembly by the first-past-the-post system . Eleven additional members are elected from Greater London as a whole to produce a form or degree of mixed-member proportional representation . Constituency names and boundaries remain now as they were for
1160-498: The first general election of the assembly, in 2000. The assembly is part of the Greater London Authority and general elections of the assembly are held at the same time as election of the mayor of London . There are 18 Northern Ireland Assembly Constituencies : four borough (for Belfast ) and 14 county constituencies elsewhere (see below). Each elects five MLAs to the 90 member NI Assembly by means of
1218-424: The single transferable vote system. Assembly Constituency boundaries are identical to their House of Commons equivalents. The constituencies below are not used for the election of members to the 11 district councils . Scottish Parliament constituencies are sometimes called Holyrood constituencies, to distinguish them from Westminster (House of Commons) constituencies. The Scottish Parliament Building
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#17327985428391276-557: The 1926 act, but in 1945 was retained and renamed sheriff . The position of high sheriff in the United States generally denotes the superior sheriff in a state , or the head of a statewide sheriff's department. Such a position exists in Rhode Island (executive high sheriff), and Hawaii . In New Hampshire , the ten high sheriffs are the senior law enforcement officers of each county , and have police powers throughout
1334-559: The Boundary Commissions for England , Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland the power to create names for constituencies, and does not provide a set of statutory guidelines for the Commissions to follow in doing so. Constituency names are geographic, and "should normally reflect the main population centre(s) contained in the constituency". Compass points are used to distinguish constituencies from each other when
1392-461: The City of London the sheriffs) are theoretically the sovereign's judicial representative in the county, while the lord-lieutenant is the sovereign's personal and military representative. Their jurisdictions, the shrieval counties , are the ceremonial counties . The post contrasts with that of sheriff in Scotland, who is a judge sitting in a sheriff court . The word sheriff is a contraction of
1450-871: The Exchequer , the Lord President of the Council , and the Lord Chief Justice of England ; other members of the Privy Council ; and any two or more judges of the High Court . These amendments were in 1998, the Chancellor of the Exchequer was granted full entitlement, not merely conditional entitlement, if there is no Lord High Treasurer – since the treasurership is by constitutional convention always placed into commission, and in 2006
1508-589: The Household , requiring a by-election. County constituency In the United Kingdom (UK), each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one member to the House of Commons . Within the United Kingdom there are five bodies with members elected by electoral districts called " constituencies " as opposed to " wards ": Between 1921 and 1973 the following body also included members elected by constituencies: Electoral areas called constituencies were previously used in elections to
1566-671: The Lord Chancellor was removed as a nominating officer through the operation of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 . These officers nominate three candidates for each county in England and Wales (with the exception of Cornwall , Merseyside , Greater Manchester and Lancashire ), which are enrolled on a parchment by the King's Remembrancer . Eligibility for nomination and appointment as high sheriff under
1624-669: The Sheriffs Act 1887 excludes peers of Parliament, members of the House of Commons, commissioners or officers of His Majesty's Revenue and Customs , 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. The practice of pricking is an ancient custom used to appoint the high sheriffs of England and Wales. In February or March of each year, two parchments prepared
1682-521: The Sheriffs Act 1887. Additional words are inserted in the case of the Duchy of Cornwall; for example, the declaration includes: "do solemnly declare that I will well and truly serve the King’s Majesty and also his Royal Highness the Duke of Cornwall". Contemporary high sheriffs have few genuine responsibilities and their functions are largely representational, which include attendance at royal visits and
1740-475: The United Kingdom elected its Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) through twelve multimember European Parliament constituencies . One, Northern Ireland , used single transferable vote , while the eleven covering Great Britain used the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation . For its first European Parliamentary elections in 1979 Great Britain was divided into
1798-563: The bishop remained custos rotulorum and appointed a chief bailiff for life to perform the functions of high sheriff within the liberty. The right to nominate and select high sheriffs in Lancashire is vested in the monarch in right of the Duchy of Lancaster . Before 1974, this right applied only to the High Sheriff of Lancashire , but since the administrative changes of the Local Government Act 1972 (effective 1974),
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1856-493: The ceremony of selection known as Pricking the Lites . The term lites , meaning list , was once reserved for Yorkshire ; the date at which the name was transferred to Lancashire is unknown. The Lites is used for the three shrieval counties that fall wholly or partially within the boundaries of the historic county palatine of Lancaster , since 1 April 1974: Lancashire , Greater Manchester , and Merseyside . The practice
1914-562: The city of London to elect the sheriffs of London" . The sheriffs of London also served as sheriffs for Middlesex until 1889 when the office of High Sheriff of Middlesex was created. The Duchy of Cornwall's first charter in 1337 states that the Shrievalty of Cornwall , the right to appoint the sheriff for the county, is vested in the Duke of Cornwall . Two further charters, dated 18 March 1337 and 3 January 1338, state that no sheriff of
1972-493: The constituencies are grouped into five electoral regions, and each of these regions elects four additional members , to produce a form or degree of mixed-member proportional representation . The current set of Senedd constituencies is the second to be created. The first was created for the first general election of the National Assembly for Wales, in 1999. Before its withdrawal from the European Union in 2020,
2030-456: The council. The spending limits for election campaigns are different in the two, the reasoning being that candidates in county constituencies tend to need to travel farther. For by-elections to any of these bodies, the limit in all constituencies is £100,000. In the House of Commons of England , each English county elected two " knights of the shire " while each enfranchised borough elected "burgesses" (usually two, sometimes four, and in
2088-726: The counties of Wales was first vested by statute in the Council of Wales and the Marches and the Welsh justices under Henry VIII . With the abolition of the Council in 1689, the power of nomination was transferred to the justices of the Court of Great Sessions in Wales . When this court was abolished in 1830, its rights were in turn transferred to the courts of King's Bench , Exchequer , and Commons Pleas . Finally, by an act of Parliament of 1845,
2146-727: The court. These Officers act in the name of the Sheriff in accordance with directions given them and the law. They include bailiffs, Deputy Sheriffs, fee-for-service Deputy Sheriffs, and all other employees and staff of the High Sheriff. Sheriff's Officers have both the power and the duty to carry out orders of the Court. They are peace officers under the Criminal Code of Canada and have all the powers and protection of law enforcement officers. The Sheriffs (Ireland) Act 1920 restricted
2204-403: The custom began. The High Sheriffs' Association argues pricking vellum ensured that the record could not be altered. Given that holders of the office often had to bear large costs and implement unpopular policies altering the choice of the monarch must sometimes have been tempting. The declaration a person must make before taking the office of high sheriff is contained in the second schedule of
2262-567: The distinction; the Boundary Commission for England has stated that, "as a general principle, where constituencies contain more than a small rural element they should normally be designated as county constituencies. Otherwise they should be designated as borough constituencies." In Scotland, all House of Commons constituencies are county constituencies except those in the cities of Glasgow , Edinburgh , Aberdeen , Dundee and three urban areas of Lanarkshire . In England and Wales,
2320-665: The duties of the high sheriff to summoning of the county grand jury and attending the judge at assizes . The office continues to exist in Northern Ireland . In the Irish Free State the Courts of Justice Act 1924 abolished the grand jury and the assizes; and the office of high sheriff was formally abolished by the Court Officers Act 1926. The office of under-sheriff was due to be phased out under
2378-456: The first name on the list is nowadays always the one chosen; the second and third names tend to become sheriffs in succeeding years, barring incapacity or death. The sovereign signifies assent by pricking (i.e., piercing) the document with a silver bodkin by the relevant name for each county, and signs the parchment when complete. The parchment for the Duchy of Lancaster is known as the Lites , and
South Wiltshire (UK Parliament constituency) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2436-591: The king shall enter Cornwall to execute the king's writ . The High Sheriff of Cornwall swears to serve both the reigning monarch and Duke of Cornwall (i.e., the crown prince ). When there is no Duke of Cornwall, the Duchy Council still sits, but under the trusteeship of the English (since 1707, British) monarch. Only as Duchy Trustee can the monarch appoint the Sheriff of Cornwall. Nomination and appointment generally takes place during Hilary , and announced via
2494-503: The local police now protect judges and courts) so that in effect the post of high sheriff is essentially ceremonial. The high sheriff was traditionally responsible for the maintenance of law and order within the county, although most of these duties are now delegated to the police. As a result of its close links with law and order the position is frequently awarded to people with an association with law enforcement (former police officers, lawyers , magistrates , judges ). The high sheriff
2552-475: The monarch in the right of the Duchy of Lancaster . In England and Wales the office's civil (civil judgement) enforcement powers exist but are not exercised by convention . The website of the High Sheriffs’ Association of England and Wales stated in 2021 that the role was a "non-political Royal appointment", for one year, and unpaid. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the high sheriff (or in
2610-570: The nomination and appointment of sheriffs in Wales was made identical to that in England. In Newfoundland and Labrador , the High Sheriff of Newfoundland and Labrador is primarily responsible for providing administrative and enforcement services to the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and the Provincial Courts . The Office of the High Sheriff administers the jury system, provides court security and executes orders and decisions of
2668-465: The position of returning officer in borough constituencies is held ex officio by the mayor or chairman of the borough or district council, and the high sheriff of the county in county constituencies. The administration of elections is carried out by the acting returning officer, who will typically be a local council's chief executive or Head of Legal Services. The role, however, is separate from these posts, and can be held by any person appointed by
2726-656: The previous November are presented to the Sovereign at a meeting of the Privy Council. A further parchment is drawn up in November for Cornwall and presented to the Duke of Cornwall (or to the sovereign when there is no such duke). Certain eligible persons (High Court judges and the Privy Council) nominate candidates for each county shrievalty , one of whom is chosen for each by the sovereign. In practice,
2784-413: The previous common electoral quota for the whole United Kingdom and replaced it with four separate national minimal seat quotas for the respective Boundaries commissions to work to, as a result the separate national electoral quotas came into effect: England 69,534; Northern Ireland 67,145, Wales 58,383 and in Scotland only 54,741 electors. The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 gives
2842-415: The resisters and commit them to prison, and every such resister shall be guilty of a misdemeanor . There are two sheriffs of the City of London , elected annually by the City of London liverymen ; their function is similar, but not equivalent to that of high sheriff, since the Sheriffs Act 1887 contains the saving "Nothing in this Act shall affect the privilege of the mayor, commonalty, and citizens of
2900-800: The rotten boroughs. It also divided larger counties into two two-seat divisions , the boundaries of which were defined in the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 , and gave seven counties a third member. Similar reforms were also made for Scotland and for Ireland . The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 ( 48 & 49 Vict. c. 23) equalised the population of constituencies; it split larger boroughs into multiple single-member constituencies, reduced smaller boroughs from two seats each to one, split each two-seat county and division into two single-member constituencies, and each three-seat county into single-member constituencies. The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1958 , eliminated
2958-482: The sheriffs in England and Wales were redefined by the Sheriffs Act 1887 . Under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972 , on 1 April 1974, the office previously known as sheriff was retitled high sheriff . The serving high sheriff submits a list of names of possible future high sheriffs to a tribunal which chooses three names to put to the sovereign. The nomination is made on 12 November every year and
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#17327985428393016-430: The term burgh is used instead of borough . Since the advent of universal suffrage , the differences between county and borough constituencies are slight. Formerly (see below ) the franchise differed, and there were also county borough and university constituencies. Borough constituencies are predominantly urban while county constituencies are predominantly rural . There is no definitive statutory criterion for
3074-448: The term shire reeve . The term, from the Old English scīrgerefa , designated a royal official responsible for keeping the peace (a reeve ) throughout a shire or county on behalf of the king. The term was preserved in England notwithstanding the Norman Conquest . English historians have offered varying estimates as to when the office of the sheriff was established. According to historian George Molyneaux, "the late tenth century
3132-405: The term of office runs from 25 March, Lady Day , which was the first day of the year until 1751. No person may be appointed twice in three years unless there is no other suitable person in the county. The Sheriffs Act 1887 (as amended) provides that sheriffs should be nominated on 12 November ( Martinmas ), or the Monday following if it falls on a Sunday, by any two or more of the Chancellor of
3190-427: Was expanded from the 2004 elections onward to include Gibraltar , the only British overseas territory that was part of the European Union , following a court case. High sheriff The office existed in the Irish Free State , but was abolished in 1926. In England and Wales , the offices of high sheriff were created at the direction of the Local Government Act 1972 incepting on 1 April 1974. The purpose
3248-480: Was originally allowed to kill suspects resisting arrest; this was still legal in the 17th century. Edward Coke noted that when the high sheriff employed constables to assist in his duties the law was also extended to them. Under the provisions of the Sheriffs Act 1887 , if a sheriff finds any resistance in the execution of a writ he shall "take with him the power of the county" (known as posse comitatus ), and shall go in proper person to do execution, and may arrest
3306-406: Was the constituency of a county corporate , combining the franchises of both county and borough. Until 1950 there were also university constituencies , which gave graduates an additional representation. Similar distinctions applied in the Irish House of Commons , while the non-university elected members of the Parliament of Scotland were called Shire Commissioners and Burgh Commissioners. After
3364-486: Was to distinguish sheriffs of counties proper from sheriffs of cities and boroughs designated counties corporate . The office is now an unpaid privilege with ceremonial duties, the sheriffs being appointed annually by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council except for Cornwall , where the high sheriff is appointed by the Duke of Cornwall (currently the Prince of Wales ) and for Merseyside , Greater Manchester and Lancashire , where they are appointed by
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