Under Sheriff
Under Sheriff
Sue is a Senior Associate Solicitor in Employment Law at Geldards Solicitors. From 2017 to 2024 she was the Head of Derby Law School at the University of Derby. Prior to this she practised as a solicitor in private practice for 20 years in Derby, specialising in Dispute Resolution and Employment Law. She is a former President of Derby & District Law Society and the current chair of the Education & Training Sub-Committee.
Sue is passionate about access to justice and the rule of law. In 2019 he created the Student Legal Advice Centre at the University of Derby to highlight and respond to gaps in access to justice, offering pro-bono legal advice to the local and global community alongside clinical legal education for students. She is an advocate of collaborative working to create opportunities and equity for all and of entrepreneurship aligned to 21st century sustainability.
She is supported in her role as Under Sheriff by Chris Birds, the Deputy Under Sheriff.
The role of the Under Sheriff
Under the Sheriffs Act 1887, the High Sheriff has a legal duty to appoint an Under Sheriff.
The Under Sheriff has a vital role in ensuring continuity for the High Sheriff’s Office. They provide valuable advice to the High Sheriff during their year in Office, particularly on the protocols of the Office and other matters such as the nomination process, parliamentary elections and ceremonial matters.