Alastair Fyfe - High Sheriff of Somerset 2006
Taken from the Seavington News February 2006
Many readers will have heard on the grape-vine that Seavington resident Alastair Fyfe has been honoured through being appointed High Sheriff of Somerset.
On behalf of its readers The Seavingtons’ News asked Alastair to explain the role.
THE ROLE OF HIGH SHERIFF
The Office of High Sheriff is the oldest secular Office in the Kingdom after the Crown. It dates from Saxon times, before the Norman Conquest and has traditionally been connected with the maintenance of law and order. The High Sheriff remains the Sovereign’s representative in the County for all matters relating to the Judiciary and the maintenance of law and order.
The High Sheriff is responsible for duties conferred by the Crown through Warrant from the Privy Council. These duties include:
• Attendance at Royal Visits to the County
• The well-being and protection of Her Majesty’s High Court Judges when on Circuit in the County and attending them in Court during legal terms
• Acting as the Returning Officer for Parliamentary Elections in county constituencies
• Responsibilities for the proclamation of the accession of a new Sovereign
• The maintenance of the loyalty of subjects to the Crown
• In Somerset, playing the leading role for the Somerset Crimebeat
Trust
Nominations to the Office of High Sheriff are dealt with through the Privy Council, for consideration by the Sovereign. The annual nominations for the appointment are made, on 12th November each year, in the Royal Courts of Justice in London. D and I attended this Ceremony last November. The Lord Chief Justice, himself, presided together with the Master of the Rolls and two other Judges. Subsequently, the selection of new High Sheriffs is made annually by the Sovereign, when the custom of ‘pricking’ the appointee’s name with a bodkin is perpetuated.
In Somerset, the new High Sheriff takes up his/her appointment upon making a sworn declaration during a service in Wells Cathedral, known as the Legal Service. Representatives of the County judiciary, together with many other County dignitaries, are present to witness this oath.
This year, the Service will take place on Sunday, 19th March 2006 at 11.30 am. Members of the public are very welcome to attend the service and it would be lovely if some people from Seavington could be there.
The appointment of High Sheriff is for one year only, unless something untoward happens to the expected successor. High Sheriffs are now encouraged to undertake duties to improve and sustain the morale of personnel of voluntary and statutory bodies engaged in the maintenance of law and order and the entire criminal system. It is an independent, non-political office which enables the High Sheriff to bring together a wide variety of individuals and office holders for the good of the community. In recent years, High Sheriffs in many parts of the country have been particularly active in the field of crime reduction and the development of an anti-crime culture, particularly among young people. This is done by giving full support to a charity called ‘Crimebeat’ - and I will be doing all I can to support ‘Somerset Crimebeat’ during my year in office.
I am sure it will be a demanding but fascinating and most interesting year.
The Legal Service - Wells Cathedral - Sunday 19th March 2006
As some may know and as explained in the preceding article, Alastair Fyfe is being installed as High Sheriff of Somerset at the Legal Service in Wells Cathedral on Sunday 19th March.
A number of people have expressed a wish to attend the service so, a coach has been organised:
0915 Depart from South Petherton (Methodist Church)
09.30 Depart from Seavington Millennium Hall
10.45 approx Arrive Wells
14.30 Depart Wells for return to Seavington & S Petherton
The Legal Service starts at 11.30am but people are asked to be seated by 11.15 am. It has not been possible to reserve seating in the Cathedral. The service will end at about 12.30 and there will then be time for people to take lunch in the City before the return journey.
There will be no travel costs.
February 2006
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