After qualifying as a chartered accountant Michael pursued a successful career in the investment world, becoming a stockbroker at an early age. In latter days he was a director of Brewin Dolphin Securities Ltd, gradually retiring from official duties in 1998. Like his mother, Michael has been involved in voluntary charity work and has held a top position in St John Ambulance for many years in the West Midlands. He is now the Chairman of the Council and is a member of Chapter and the Investment Committee in London. His other charity role is being a Governor of Solihull College,one of the leading Further Education Colleges in England.

In April 2003 he will be the High Sheriff of the County of West Midlands for the year to April 2004. Michael's description of the role of High Sheriff and background information are worth recording, since it is an office of some importance:

The Office of High Sheriff: The Office of High Sheriff is at least 1000 years old having its roots in Saxon times before the Norman Conquest. It is the oldest continuous secular Office under the Crown. Originally the Office held many of the powers now vested in Lord Lieutenants, High Court Judges, magistrates, local authorities, coroners and even the Inland Revenue.The Office of High Sheriff remained first in precedence in the counties until the reign of Edward the Seventh when an Order in Council in 1908 gave the Lord Lieutenant the Prime Office under the Crown as the Sovereign's personal representative. Lord Lieutenants were created in 1547 for military duties in the shires. 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.

Modern precedence: Modern precedence is defined by a Royal warrant of 1904 , as amplified by a Home Office memorandum of 1928 whereby the High Sheriff takes precedence in the county immediately after the Lord Lieutenant except when precedence is deferred to a Lord Mayor, mayor or chairman of the local authority when they are undertaking municipal business in their own district.

Functions of the Office: High Sheriffs are responsible in the counties of England and Wales for duties conferred by the Crown through warrant from the Privy Council including: -
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 the legal terms.
• The execution of High Court writs and orders through the under sheriff whose annual appointment is by the High Sheriff alone.
• Acting as the returning officer for parliamentary elections in county constituencies.
• Responsibility for the proclamation of the accession of a new sovereign.
• The maintenance of the loyalty of subjects to the Crown.

The event of appointment as High Sheriff remains valid even on the death of the Sovereign. In practice some of these responsibilities are delegated to the professional services, for example the protection of the judges and the maintenance of law-and-order are in the hands of the Chief Constable of Police.

Nominations for High Sheriff: Nominations to the Office of High Sheriff are dealt with and through the presiding Judge of the Circuit and the Privy Council for consideration by the Sovereign in Council. The annual nominations of three prospective High Sheriffs for each County are made in a meeting of the Lords of the Council in the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice presided over by the Lord Chief Justice on 12th November in each year.

Subsequently the selection of new High Sheriffs is made annually in a meeting of the Privy Council by the Sovereign when the custom of pricking the appointee's name with a bodkin is perpetuated.

Eligibility for nomination and appointment of High Sheriff under the Sheriffs Act of 1887 excludes Peers of Parliament, Members of the House of Commons, Commissioners or Officers of Customs and Excise or Inland Revenue, Officers of the Post Office and Offices of the Navy, Army or Royal Air Force on full pay, clergymen whether beneficed or not and barristers or solicitors in actual practice.

Notification of appointment: Following the pricking of the High Sheriff in the Privy Council a Warrant of Appointment is sent by the clerk of the Privy Council to him or to her in the following terms: -

"Whereas her Majesty was this day pleased, by and with the advice of her Privy Council, to nominate you for, and appoint you to be High Sheriff of the County of West Midlands during her Majesty's pleasure: These are therefore to require you to take the custody and charge of the said county, and duly to perform the duties of High Sheriff thereof during Her Majesty's pleasure, whereof you are duly to answer according to Law".

The High Sheriff takes up appointment upon making a sworn declaration in terms dictated by the Sheriffs Act 1887. The appointment is for one year only except in the event of something untoward happening to the High Sheriff's expected successor when a High Sheriff must remain in office until the appointment of a successor is executed.

High Sheriffs are now encouraged by the Shrievalty Association of England and Wales to undertake duties to improve and sustain the morale of personnel of voluntary and statutory bodies, particularly those engaged in the maintenance and extension of law and order and the entire criminal system. It is an independent non-political office which enables the holder to bring together a wide variety of individuals and office holders for the good of the community the High Sheriff serves.

The High Sheriffs receives no remuneration and no part of the expense of his year of office falls on the public purse. In recent years High Sheriffs in many parts of England and Wales have been particularly active in the field of reduction of crime and the development of an anti-crime culture, particularly among young people, through National Crimebeat and other similar initiatives.

The Privy Council: The Privy Council meets monthly. Four Privy Councillors are invited and a quorum is three. They stand as this gets through the business more quickly. The Cabinet is a committee of Privy Councillors. Membership of the Privy Council is for life; there are about 450 Privy Councillors drawn from politicians, appeal court judges, Commonwealth PMs, archbishops and other post-holders.

Court Dress and Badges: The purpose of the badge is to make the Sheriff distinguishable so it is worn with lounge suits and evening dress when others are wearing badges. No need with Court Dress because he is easily distinguished. Court dress is made of black velvet and consists of a tail coat and knee breeches with silver buttons. A lace jabot and a shirt with frilly lace cuffs is also worn. The black patent shoes have silver buckles and are worn with black tights. A sword is carried which denotes the traditional use of defending the life of the monarch in the event of an attacker.

Sheriff's Role: Stand for the Rule of Law; enforce court orders; not interfere with the official upholders of law and order; take interest in the police, probation service, prison officers, hospitals, ambulance service and firemen, make awards for outstanding assistance to the police.

Pricking Ceremony: This takes place in March just before the Sheriff's term of office begins. Queen Elizabeth I was in the garden doing some tapestry or embroidery when she was interrupted by her courtiers presenting her with a list of sheriffs to be elected. As she had no writing instrument handy and did not want to be disturbed unduly she pricked a hole by each name in the parchment with her bodkin. A steel bodkin continues to be used to this day.

History: Created in 992 before the Norman Conquest to bring Law and Order to a disunited and disorganized society when Ethelred the Unready was on the throne and the Danes were pillaging England; it is the oldest continuous crown appointment predating the judiciary and a host of other dignitaries. Until recently, the only two women sheriffs were in 1216 and the 1600s. In the olden days there were no police, judges, magistrates, inland revenue or customs and excise; the Shir-Reeve did the lot. Some were colourful old scoundrels who took bribes; can't do that now - must be above reproach.

The Queen's Remembrancer: Officially set up to remind the Monarch of business pending and collection of debts due and penalties. Since 1925, the office has been held by the Senior Master of the Supreme Court (Queens Bench Division). His duties include the selection of sheriffs and the swearing-in of the Lord Mayor of London.

Court of the Queen's Bench: The Queen's Bench Division now consists of a Chief Justice, who is the Lord Chief Justice of England, and 24 judges assigned to the Division. Appeals from inferior courts come before a divisional court composed of 2 or 3 judges of the Division.

Updated 31 Mar 2003