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On Friday, March 26, 2021 at a Declaration Ceremony held virtually at 12 noon and presided over by Neil Arnold JP, the Bench Chair of the Buckinghamshire Magistrates Court, George Anson was sworn in as the next High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire. Of his appointment, Mr Anson commented: “It is an honour and a privilege to accept this position as High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, and I am very much looking forward to the next twelve months.”
Mr Anson succeeds the outgoing High Sheriff, Andrew Farncombe of Beaconsfield.
At the same ceremony Ms Charlotte Dunn was sworn in as the Under Sheriff of Buckinghamshire.
Also in attendance at the Declaration Ceremony were: the Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, The Countess Howe; the Resident Judge of Aylesbury Crown Court, HHJ Francis Sheridan; the High Sheriff, Andrew Farncombe; the Chair of Buckinghamshire Council, Richard Scott; the Mayor of Milton Keynes, Andrew Geary; and the incoming High Sheriff’s Chaplain, The Reverend David Meakin.
The term of High Sheriff traditionally lasts for one year. The Office of High Sheriff is the oldest secular Office in the United Kingdom after the Crown. The High Sheriff is appointed personally by The Queen at the Pricking Ceremony held in March each year. The role of High Sheriff has evolved over time and the current COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated that change. The central element of supporting the Crown, the Judiciary and Law Enforcement has remained, but the High Sheriff has had to adapt how they interact and work with crime prevention agencies, the emergency services and also the charitable sector.
Mr Anson commented that his area of focus for his year in office would be highlighting the pervasive and growing impact that cyber-crime is having on the population. Cyber-crime and on-line fraud have the fastest rates of growth of any crime nationally. He will campaign to educate people on the risks they face on-line, and how they can make themselves safer.
For more background on the Office of the High Sheriff, please refer to the High Sheriffs’ Association (www.highsheriffs.com).
High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire contacts:-
e-mail: buckinghamshire@highsheriffs.com
Twitter: @hisheriffbucks
Instagram: @hisheriffbucks