Sheriffs of London

Two Sheriffs are elected annually for the City of London by the Liverymen of the City Livery Companies. Today Sheriffs have only nominal duties, but previously had important judicial responsibilities. They have attended the Justices at the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey since its original role as the Court for the City and Middlesex.

The Sheriffs live in the court house complex during their year of service, so that one of them can always be attendant on the judges. In Court No 1 the principal chairs on the bench are reserved for their and the Lord Mayor's use, with the Sword of the City hanging behind the bench. It is an invariable custom that the Lord Mayor of London must previously have served as a Sheriff.

By a "custom of immemorial usage in the City", the two Sheriffs are elected at the Midsummer Common Hall by the Liverymen by acclamation, unless a ballot is demanded from the floor, which takes place within fourteen days. The returning officers at the Common Hall are the Recorder of London (senior Judge of the 'Old Bailey') and the outgoing Sheriffs. As of September 2016^[update], the current Sheriffs are Alderman Peter Kenneth Estlin and Alderman William Anthony Bowater Russell.

The Sheriffs' jurisdiction covers only the square mile of the City of London. The High Sheriff of Greater London covers areas of London outside of the City, which today incorporates parts of several old counties, most notably Middlesex.

The title of sheriff, or shire reeve, evolved during the Anglo-Saxon period of English history. The reeve was the representative of the king in a city, town or shire, responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing the law. By the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066, the City of London had sheriffs, usually two at a time. The sheriffs were the most important city officials and collected London's annual taxes on behalf of the royal exchequer; they also had judicial duties in the City's law courts.

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