The High Sheriff of West Sussex is annually appointed as the sovereign's representative in West Sussex county for all matters relating to the judiciary and the maintenance of law and order.
The oldest office under the crown, the office of High Sheriff is over 1000 years old, with its establishment before the Norman Conquest. 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. 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. Prior to 1974, there was one High Sheriff for the whole of Sussex. The High Sheriff is appointed annually in March.
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