Sheriffs Act 1887
Preliminary
1 Short title.
2 Extent of Act.
Appointment and Qualification
3 Annual appointment of sheriff and duration of office.
4 Qualification of sheriffs.
5 Same person not to be chosen twice in three years.
6 Nomination and appointment of sheriffs.
7 Declaration of office.
Powers, Duties, and Liabilities
8 Powers of sheriff for posse comitatus.
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10 Duties as to execution of writs.
11 Duties on receipt of debt to Crown.
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14 Duties on arrest of civil debtors.
15 Liability for wrongful imprisonment.
16 Liability for escape.
17 Disability to act as justice of the peace.
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20 Fees and poundage.
Accounts
21 Transmission of accounts of sheriff.
22 Audit of accounts of sheriff.
Under-Sheriff and Officers
23 Obligation to appoint under-sheriff and declaration of office by under-sheriff.
24 Obligation to appoint deputy resident in London.
25 Execution of office by under-sheriff on death or suspension of sheriff.
26 Declaration by bailiffs, &c.
27 Sale of offices prohibited.
Outgoing Sheriff
28 Outgoing sheriff to turn over prisoners and process to incoming sheriff.
Miscellaneous
29 Punishment for misconduct.
30 Filing and exemption from duty of declaration of office.
Application of Act in Special Cases
31 Application of Act to Westmoreland and Wales.
32. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33 Saving for privileges of city of London and approval of election of sheriffs of London.
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36. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
37 Saving for Duchy of Cornwall.
Definitions and Repeal
38 Definitions.
39 Repeal.
40 Savings for courts leet, &c.
SCHEDULES
THE FIRST SCHEDULE Form of Warrant appointing Sheriff
At the Court at the day of present the Queen’s...
To A.B.,of
Whereas Her Majesty was this day pleased, by and with...
These are therefore to require you to take the custody...
Dated this day of
By Her Majesty’s command.
THE SECOND SCHEDULE
Declaration of Sheriff and Under Sheriff
I, A.B.,of , in the county of do solemnly declare...
*The words within square brackets to be added in case...
FORM OF DECLARATION FOR BAILIFF, DEPUTY, OR OFFICER OF SHERIFF
Section 26
I, A.B.,do hereby solemnly and sincerely declare that I will...
SCHEDULE 2A MEANING OF “COUNTY”
For the purposes of this Act, the counties or parts...
THIRD SCHEDULE
. . . . . . . . . ....

Sheriffs Act 1887

1887 c.55

An Act to consolidate the Law relating to the office of Sheriff in England, and to repeal certain enactments relating to Sheriffs which have ceased to be in force or have become unnecessary.

Annotations:
Commencement Information
I1

Act wholly in force at Royal Assent

Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1

“Writ” to be construed as not including writ for parliamentary elections: Representation of the People Act 1948 (c. 65), Sch. 10 Pt. II, para. 4

C2

References to sheriff to be construed as references to high sheriff: Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70), s. 219(1)

C3

Act: power to amend conferred (1.4.1996) by 1994 c. 19, s. 62(3) (with ss. 54(5)(7), 55(5), Sch. 17 paras. 22(1), 23(2)); S.I. 1995/3198, art. 6(3), Sch. 5

C4

Act excluded (temp. from 19.7.1996 to 31.3.1998) by S.I. 1996/1867, art. 4(2)(a)