Sheriff officers

Sheriff officers

• Qualification as an officer of the court
• Appointment of sheriff officer

A sheriff officer is an officer of the regional civil court. Scotland is divided into six regions called sheriffdoms, each of which has a sheriff principal responsible for the conduct of the courts.

The six sheriffdoms in Scotland are:

•Glasgow and Strathkelvin; and
•Grampian, Highland and Islands; and
•Lothian and Borders; and
•North Strathclyde; and
•South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway; and
•Tayside, Central and Fife.

Unlike a messenger-at-arms, a sheriff officer can only operate in the geographical area where they hold a commission.

Qualification as an officer of the court

A person cannot be an officer of court unless:1r3 AoS(MASO) Rules

•they are aged 20 or over and under 70 years; and
•they have trained for three years with a practicing officer of court; and
•the officer of court with whom they trained has issued a certificate stating that the training has been completed satisfactorily and within five years before applying for a commission as a sheriff officer; and
•they have passed the relevant examinations; and
•they have attained the educational standard determined by the committee of examiners.

A sheriff officer must retire from practice as an officer of court when they reach age 70.

 

1     r3 AoS(MASO) Rules »

Appointment of sheriff officer

An application by a person for a commission as a sheriff officer in a particular sheriffdom or a particular district of a sheriffdom shall be by initial writ in a summary application to the sheriff principal in such sheriff court as the sheriff principal shall direct and shall be signed by the applicant or his solicitor.

Where the sheriff principal is satisfied that the applicant is suitably qualified and is a fit and proper person to be a sheriff officer, they may grant the applicant a commission as a sheriff officer in their sheriffdom or an individual sheriff court within that sheriffdom.