Law

Sheriffs Act 1887

United Kingdom · statute

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In force since 2022-03-18, as the publisher states.

Copy read on 2026-11-09. The page it was read from

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.

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Contents: 45 provisions
  1. Title and introductory text
  2. 1 Short title.
  3. 2 Extent of Act.
  4. 3 Annual appointment of sheriff and duration of office.
  5. 4 Qualification of sheriffs.
  6. 5 Same person not to be chosen twice in three years.
  7. 6 Nomination and appointment of sheriffs.
  8. 7 Declaration of office.
  9. 8 Powers of sheriff for posse comitatus.
  10. 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  11. 10 Duties as to execution of writs.
  12. 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  13. 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  14. 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  15. 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  16. 15 Liability for wrongful imprisonment.
  17. 16 Liability for escape.
  18. 17 Disability to act as justice of the peace.
  19. 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  20. 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  21. 20 Fees and poundage.
  22. 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  23. 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  24. 23 Obligation to appoint under-sheriff and declaration of office by under-sheriff.
  25. 24 Obligation to appoint deputy resident in London.
  26. 25 Execution of office by under-sheriff on death or suspension of sheriff.
  27. 26 Declaration by bailiffs, &c.
  28. 27 Sale of offices prohibited.
  29. 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  30. 29 Punishment for misconduct.
  31. 30 Filing and exemption from duty of declaration of office.
  32. 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  33. 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  34. 33 Saving for privileges of city of London and approval of election of sheriffs of London.
  35. 34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  36. 35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  37. 36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  38. 37 Saving for Duchy of Cornwall.
  39. 38 Definitions.
  40. 39 Repeal.
  41. 40
  42. THE FIRST SCHEDULE Form of Warrant appointing Sheriff
  43. THE SECOND SCHEDULE
  44. SCHEDULE 2A MEANING OF “COUNTY”
  45. THIRD SCHEDULE

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45 provisions

40

(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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THE FIRST SCHEDULE Form of Warrant appointing Sheriff

Section 6 (2). At the Court at the day of present the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty in Council. To A.B.,of 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 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 sheriff thereof during Her Majesty’s pleasure, whereof you are duly to answer according to law. Dated this day of By Her Majesty’s command.

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THE SECOND SCHEDULE

Sections 7(1),23(3). Declaration of Sheriff and Under Sheriff I, A.B.,of , in the county of do solemnly declare that I will well and truly serve the Queen’s Majesty *[and also his Royal Highness Duke of Cornwall] in the office of sheriff/under sheriff of the county of and promote Her Majesty’s *[and his Royal Highness’s] profit in all things that belong to my office as far as I legally can or may; I will truly preserve the Queen’s rights *[and the rights of his Royal Highness] and all that belongeth to the Crown *[or Duchy of Cornwall]; I will not assent to decrease, lessen, or conceal the rights of the Queen . . .*[or the rights of his Royal Highness, . . .]; and whenever I shall have knowledge that the rights of the Crown *[or Duchy] are concealed or withdrawn in any matter or thing I will do my utmost to make them be restored to the Crown *[or Duchy] again; and if I may not do it myself I will inform the Queen *[or his Royal Highness] or some of Her Majesty’s judges thereof; I will not respite or delay to levy the Queen’s debts for any gift promise reward or favour where I may raise the same without great grievance to the debtors; I will do right as well to poor as to rich in all things belonging to my office; I will do no wrong to any man for any gift reward or promise nor for favour or hatred; I will disturb no man’s right, and will truly and faithfully acquit at the Exchequer all those of whom I shall receive any debts or sums or money belonging to the Crown *[or Duchy]; I will take nothing whereby the Queen *[or his Royal Highness] may lose or whereby her *[or his] right may be disturbed injured or delayed; I will truly return and truly serve all the Queen’s writs according to the best of my skill and knowledge; [I will take no bailiffs into my service but such as I will answer for;]†I will truly set and return reasonable and due issues of them that be within my bailiwick according to their estate and circumstances, and make due pannels of persons able and sufficient and not suspected or procured as is appointed by the statutes of this realm; [I have not sold or let to farm, nor contracted for, nor have I granted or promised for reward or benefit, nor will I sell or let to farm nor contract for or grant for reward or benefit by myself or any other person for me or for my use directly or indirectly my sheriffwick or any bailiwick thereof or any office belonging thereunto or the profits of the same to any person or persons whatsoever;]††I will truly and diligently execute the good laws and statutes of this realm, and in all things well and truly behave myself in my office for the honour of the Queen *[and his Royal Highness] and the good of her subjects, and discharge the same according to the best of my skill and power. *The words within square brackets to be added in case of the Duchy of Cornwall.†In the case of under-sheriffs, omit the words between brackets.††In the case of under-sheriffs, omit the words between brackets, and say: [“I have not bought purchased or taken to farm or contracted for nor have I promised or given any consideration nor will I buy purchase or take to farm or contract for promise or give any consideration whatsoever by myself or any other person for me or for my use directly or indirectly to any person whomsoever for the office of under-sheriff of the county of which I am now to enter upon and enjoy, nor for the profits of the same nor for any bailiwick thereof or any other place or office belonging thereunto; I have not sold nor contracted for or let to farm, nor have I granted or promised for reward or benefit by myself or any other person for me or for my use directly or indirectly any bailiwick thereof or any other place or office belonging thereunto.”] FORM OF DECLARATION FOR BAILIFF, DEPUTY, OR OFFICER OF SHERIFF Section 26 I, A.B.,do hereby solemnly and sincerely declare that I will not use or exercise the office of corruptly during the time that I shall remain therein . . .

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SCHEDULE 2A MEANING OF “COUNTY”

Section 38 For the purposes of this Act, the counties or parts of counties specified in column (2) of the following Table shall be deemed to form one county known by the name specified in respect of those counties or parts in column (1) of the Table— TABLE (1) | (2) Bedfordshire | Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton Buckinghamshire | Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Cambridgeshire | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Cheshire | Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, and, Halton and Warrington Cumbria | Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness Derbyshire | Derbyshire and Derby Devon | Devon, Plymouth and Torbay Dorset | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset Durham | Durham , Darlington and Hartlepool and so much of the county of Stockton-on-Tees as lies north of the line for the time being of the centre of the River Tees The East Riding of Yorkshire | The East Riding of Yorkshire and Kingston upon Hull (City of) East Sussex | East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Essex | Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock Gloucestershire | Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire Hampshire | Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Kent | Kent and the Medway Towns Lancashire | Lancashire, Blackburn and Blackpool Leicestershire | Leicestershire and Leicester Lincolnshire | Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire Northamptonshire | North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire North Yorkshire | North Yorkshire, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and York and so much of the county of Stockton-on-Tees as lies south of the centre for the time being of the river Tees Nottinghamshire | Nottinghamshire and Nottingham Shropshire | Shropshire and The Wrekin Somerset | Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset and North West Somerset Staffordshire | Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Wiltshire | Wiltshire and Thamesdown

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THIRD SCHEDULE

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