Editing Sheriff (section)

==Related offices==
{{further|Reeve (England)|Landvogt|Landgericht (medieval)|Bailiff (France)|Huissier de justice}}

===Norway===
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2024}}
In [[Norway]] until 2021 there was the office of {{lang|no|[[Lensmann#Modern_police_officer|lensmann]]}}, which in their mostly rural police districts had functions similar to those of a US sheriff, consisting of the duties of {{Clarify|text=civilian as well as criminal peace officers.|date=May 2024}}

The {{lang|no|lensmann}} was directly subordinate to the {{lang|no|[[fylkesmann]]}} (county governor) until 1994, when the office became subordinate to the local chief of police ({{lang|no|politimester}}). In 2000, a lot of civilian duties were transferred to the regular police ({{lang|no|politi}}), and much of the difference between the {{lang|no|politi}} and {{lang|no|lensmann}} disappeared. The office is now called {{lang|no|politistasjonssjef}} (police station chief), or in some places{{lang|no|politiavdelingssjef}} (police unit chief).

Because the police has taken over most typical 'sheriffs' duties from the year 2000 onwards, there is no longer a difference between the former rank of a "sheriff's deputy" ({{lang|no|lensmannsbetjent}}) and that of a regular police officer ({{lang|no|politibetjent}}).

The lensmann has been elected by the [[Municipal_council#Norway|municipal council]] since the year 1293{{Dubious|date=May 2024}}, but was nominated by the {{lang|no|[[sysselmann]]}}, the appointed governor.

===Iceland===
{{Main|Sýslumaður}}
In [[Iceland]], ''sýslumenn'' (singular {{lang|is|sýslumaður}}, translated "sheriff")<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.glosbe.com/en/is/Sheriff|title=Sheriff in Icelandic - English-Icelandic Dictionary &#124; Glosbe}}</ref> are administrators of the [[State (polity)|state]], holders of the [[executive power]] in their [[Jurisdiction (area)|jurisdiction]] and heads of their Sheriff's Office. Sheriffs are in charge of certain legal matters that typically involve registration of some sort and executing the orders of the court. The duties of the sheriffs differ slightly depending on their jurisdiction but they can be broadly categorised as:

* Duties of all sheriffs: [[Marriage|marital]] matters (such as general registration of [[marital status]] and performing [[civil marriage]]s), [[Age of consent|statutory]] matters, [[inheritance]] matters and more.<ref>{{cite web
|url         = http://www.syslumenn.is/allir
|title       = Verkefni allra sýslumanna
|language    = is
|trans-title=Tasks of all sheriffs
|access-date  = 31 January 2012}}</ref>

* Duties of all sheriffs except in [[Reykjavík]]: collection of public fees, publication of licences and permits for various personal and business purposes and more.<ref>{{cite web
|url         = http://www.syslumenn.is/utanrvk/
|title       = Verkefni sýslumanna utan Reykjavíkur
|language    = is
|trans-title=Tasks of sheriffs outside Reykjavík
|access-date  = 31 January 2012}}</ref>

* Special duties of some sheriffs: in some jurisdictions the sheriff is also the [[police commissioner|commissioner of police]].<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.syslumenn.is/serstok-verkefni/
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070629020702/http://www.syslumenn.is/serstok-verkefni/
 |url-status    = dead
 |archive-date = 29 June 2007
 |title       = Sérstök verkefni sýslumanna
 |language    = is
 |trans-title = Special tasks of sheriffs
 |access-date  = 31 January 2012
}}</ref>

There are 24 sheriffs and sheriff jurisdictions in Iceland. The jurisdictions are not defined by the [[administrative divisions of Iceland]] but are mainly a mixture of [[County|counties]] and [[Municipality|municipalities]].

The post of sheriff was mandated by the [[Old Covenant (Iceland)|Old Covenant]], an agreement between the [[Icelandic Commonwealth]] and the [[Norway|Kingdom of Norway]]. The agreement which was ratified between 1262 and 1264 makes the post of sheriff the oldest secular position of government still operating in Iceland.<ref>{{cite web
|url         = http://www.syslumenn.is/syslumenn/saga-embaettanna/
|title       = Saga sýslumanna
|language    = is
|trans-title=History of sheriffs
|access-date  = 31 January 2012
|quote       = Sýslumanna er fyrst getið hérlendis í einu handriti að sáttmála þeim sem Íslendingar gerðu við Noregskonung og öðlaðist staðfestingu á árunum 1262 til 1264 og síðar var nefndur Gamli sáttmáli, en með sáttmála þessum má segja að Íslendingar hafi gerst þegnar Noregskonungs. Eru sýslumenn elstu veraldlegu embættismenn sem enn starfa hérlendis og hafa alla tíð verið mikilvægur hluti stjórnsýslunnar.}}</ref>