About the Lieutenancy
High Sheriff of West Sussex
History
The office of High Sheriff, the oldest secular office under the Crown, has its origins in
Saxon times before the Norman conquest and originally held many of the responsibilities
that now rest with the Lord-Lieutenant, the judiciary, local authorities, coroners and
HM Revenue and Customs.
The office of High Sheriff remained first in precedence in every county until the reign
of Edward VII. In 1904 an Order in Council established the Lord-Lieutenant as the
Sovereign’s personal representative. The High Sheriff now takes precedence
immediately after the Lord-Lieutenant.
Please click here for a full list of High Sheriffs of West Sussex since 1086.
Appointment
High Sheriffs serve for one year. A local advisory committee recommends individuals through the
Presiding Judge of the Circuit to the Privy Council. The formal selection of High Sheriffs is made annually at
a meeting of the Privy Council at which the Sovereign ‘pricks’ the list of forthcoming High Sheriffs with a bodkin.
Role
The High Sheriff’s principal responsibilities are as follows:
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To uphold and enhance the ancient office of High Sheriff and to make a meaningful contribution to the county during the year of office.
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To support the Lord-Lieutenant on royal visits and other occasions as appropriate.
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To ensure the well-being and protection of His Majesty’s High Court judges when on circuit in the county and attending them in court during the legal terms.
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To lend active support to the principal organs of the Constitution within the county – the Royal Family, the Judiciary, the police and other law enforcement agencies, the emergency services, local authorities, the church and faith groups.
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To take an active part in supporting and promoting the voluntary sector and giving all possible encouragement to voluntary organisations within the county.
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Acting as Returning Officer for Parliamentary Elections.
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Responsibility for the Proclamation of the Accession of a new Sovereign.
The current High Sheriff
The High Sheriff of West Sussex for 2025-26 is
Mr Gary Shipton, DL. His term of office
commenced at his declaration ceremony
on March 27, 2026.
Mr Shipton has been a journalist, editor and
Editor In Chief across the UK for the past 45 years
but his main focus has always been his titles in
Sussex - ranging from Sussex World to a host
of prestigious weekly newspapers including the
West Sussex Gazette, Chichester Observer
Series, Worthing Herald Series, West Sussex
County Times, Mid Sussex Times, and
Crawley Observer.
He has been a member of the national Editors’ Code of Practice Committee which sets and reviews the standards to which journalists are held accountable; and over many years, working with the industry’s representative organisation the NMA, has campaigned for freedom of expression.
Separate from his professional responsibilities he has been a Deputy Lieutenant of West Sussex since 2019 and Patron of Sussex Coast Talking News for ten years.
He has previously won national acclaim for his countryside columns and his rural diary written under the name Philip Sutton was serialised in the Sunday Express for a number of years during the 1990s.
During his term as High Sheriff, he intends to meet many of those who protect, support and serve the communities of West Sussex. He will also be highlighting the pioneering work of dementia support charities such as Sage House.
He is a keen supporter of Chichester Festival Theatre having attended the summer festival there for more than half a century - and for many of those years as a critic for his newspapers, including at one time The i.
Gary Shipton is married to Christine and they live near Chichester. They have two grown-up children Eleanor and Matthew.
The High Sheriff can be contacted through his PA, Julia Mansergh.
Email: westsussex@highsheriffs.com
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