Sheriff of Kolkata

The Sheriff of Kolkata is an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Kolkata (Calcutta). The Sheriff has an office and staff in Calcutta High Court but does not have executive powers. Mumbai (Bombay) and Kolkata are the only cities in India to maintain the post of Sheriff. Presently the office of the Sheriff is situated in the Calcutta High Court building.[1]

Office of Sheriff inside the Calcutta High Court

History

The Calcutta Shrievalty was established by a Royal Charter issued by King George III of Great Britain on 26 March 1774 which created the Supreme Court at Fort William in Calcutta. The charter stipulated that the sheriff would be appointed by the Governor-General in Council from a list of three residents recommended by the Supreme Court in a similar manner to the system of High Sheriffs in England.

In the early years the Sheriff of Calcutta was the executive arm of the judiciary and responsible for the provision of jurors, the safe custody of prisoners and the seizure of goods. From the mid 1800s, the power of the position was gradually reduced until it became today's ceremonial post.[2]

The Calcutta Sheriff's Act 1948 (or West Bengal Act XXX of 1948) was enacted on 15 October 1948.[3]

Notable persons

List of sheriffs:[4]

See also

References
  1. "Journalist Utpal Chatterjee is new Sheriff of Kolkata". 11 January 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  2. "The High Court at Calcutta" (PDF). Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  3. "Calcutta Sheriff's Act, 148" (PDF). www.wbja.nic.in. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  4. "Sheriff". Sheriff. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  5. "Suchitra Mitra elected Sheriff". The Tribune. India. 8 February 2001. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  6. "The Telegraph - Calcutta Metro".
  7. "Journalist to be new sheriff | Kolkata News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. 24 December 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  8. "Neurosurgeon Indrajit Roy will be new sheriff of Kolkata". sify news. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  9. "Ranjit the sheriff". The Telegrapn. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  10. "Eminent author Shankar becomes Sheriff of Kolkata". Business Standard India. PTI. 8 July 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
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