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The Office of the
Sheriff was first established in Australia by the Charter of
Justice in
1824. Prior to this, the duties of the Sheriff were performed by the
Provost-Marshal of the Colony of New South Wales.
The 1824
Charter also created the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. For the
first time, the colony of New South Wales had three branches of government
- Executive, Administrative and Judicial. This division of government
continues to this day.
The role of the
New South Wales Sheriff
There have been
twenty one Sheriffs in New South Wales since 1824, and while some of the
responsibilities of the Sheriff remain the same, there have been
substantial changes in that time.
The historical
records of New South Wales state that the duties of the Sheriff in 1824
were to:
- "execute all the
judgments, decrees and orders of the Supreme Court;
- in criminal cases,
carry out the death sentence and any minor sentences the Court might
pass;
- discharge the
duties of the Coroner;
- act as the Marshal
of the Admiralty;
- arrange for the
transmission of prisoners under sentence to iron'd gangs in the
interior, Goat Island and the streets of Sydney;
- run the gaols;
and
- arrange the
reception and disposal of prisoners returned from penal
settlements."
Many of these duties
have disappeared over the years, in particular responsibility for carrying
out death sentences (the death penalty has been abolished in all
Australian States), running gaols (which are now controlled by the
Department of Corrective Services) and to act as Coroner (now the special
responsibility of the Coroner's Court).
Today, the Office of
the Sheriff has broad responsibility for the enforcing the civil law of
New South Wales, as well as the providing Court security and running the
jury system.
The responsibilities
of the Sheriff today are to:
- administer the
Sheriff's Office;
- serve Summonses
and enforcement orders, warrants and orders of the Supreme, District and
Local Courts, and other tribunals and courts in New South Wales;
- serve and enforce
orders within the borders of New South Wales on behalf of Commonwealth
courts, including the High Court, Federal Court and the Family Court of
Australia;
- arrange security
for the Supreme Court, District Court, certain Local Courts and a range
of tribunals; and
- administer the
jury system in New South Wales.
History of the Office of the
Sheriff
The Office of Sheriff in
Australia today
The Sheriffs of the Colony and
State of New South Wales
Page Design
© Ian Hunter.
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