SH26/27 - The Office of Sheriff 2026/2027

The essential requirement for the role of a Sheriff is to possess the ability and legal standing to perform the functions of the office. This requires knowledge and experience not only of civil law and practice but also that relating to summary and solemn crime.Those seeking appointment may be judicial office holders or practitioners of standing, whether solicitors or advocates.
It is essential that those applying for appointment who may not have knowledge or experience in each of these disciplines is able to demonstrate the ability to acquire knowledge in unfamiliar areas of the law.
We do not expect that applicants will be familiar with all areas of a Sheriff’s work. Once appointed, there will be opportunities for further study, training and development, and suitable mentoring is made available. However, it is important that a Sheriff is of sufficient legal standing to command confidence in their decisions with immediate effect, and it is critical that you can demonstrate both the ability and the motivation to succeed at this level across a broad range of civil and criminal work.