New High Court Enforcement Officer

The New Sheriff in Town

In February 2021 our Director Andy Coates was appointed by the Lord Chancellor as an Authorised High Court Enforcement Officer.

Andy joins the company’s other 2 Authorised High Court Enforcement Officer Frank Whitworth and Kate Fellows.

Andy started in the debt recovery profession in the late eighties and quickly progressed into becoming a Certificated Bailiff. Andy had a flare for this type of work and great understanding of the laws and regulations. He quickly progressed to being an expert in the subject and then on to become one of the most well know tutors in the subject.

Andy was one of the first to develop courses for members of the public and other companies wanting to become bailiffs. To this day he is one of the directors in the UK’s largest bailiff training companies IES Training.

Andy’s bailiff career spans decades, and includes him working as Operations Director for DAC Bailiffs Ltd, managing director of National Enforcement Services Ltd, and Enforcement Director for JBW Group. Andy is currently a Director at Derby Legal Services.

He has held numerous roles in the trade associations. This includes roles on the executive councils of The Association of British Investigators, The Enforcement Services Association, CIVEA and The Certificated Enforcement Agents Association.

What has our new HCEO had to say about this appointment?

Andy said about this appointment:

“I feel very proud of this professional achievement.

After more years (decades) than I care to remember of doing lots of training, studying, working at the sharp end, in the office and taking lots of exams I have finally been appointed An Authorised High Court Enforcement Officer (Sheriff); one of the 48 people who are currently appointed to that position.

It has not been easy, and I have certainly had some setbacks and had to pick myself up and try again, but I got there in the end. Many thanks to the people who have supported me through this journey.”

For more information on our High Court Enforcement Service

Background and History

The modern day Sheriffs are now called High Court Enforcement Officers and there are less than 50 in the whole of England and Wales.

The guys you see on the TV are not High Court Enforcement Officers they are Certificated Enforcement Agents working on behalf of a High Court Enforcement Officer. Think of a sheriff and their deputies or a Chief Constable and their Police Constables.

The Sheriffs are one of the oldest official appointments dating back from the Saxon times in England. The role has gone through many changes over the years. The role has had many duties including raising the Kings army, dispensing crown justice, collecting taxes, presiding over hearings and even conducting executions.

In 2003 the Courts Act reformed the system, and the post of High Court Enforcement Officer was created. Schedule 7 of The Courts Act 2003 states:

“The relevant officer has, in relation to the writ, the duties, powers, rights, privileges and liabilities that a sheriff of a county would have had at common law if the writ had been directed to him.”

How to become a High Court Enforcement Officer (Sheriff)

To become a High Court Enforcement Officer is an arduous process.

The position comes with power and great responsibility, so the government need to ensure the person authorised is suitably experienced and qualified to be appointed by the Lord Chancellor.

There are no short cuts to become a qualified HCEO; it is 2 years of hard study and at least 3 to 4 years of experience on an apprentice contract with an Authorised High Court Enforcement Officer (AHCEO). That way you will gain all the practical experience of working the various writs, then progress to the office to gain the experience of management, health and safety, dealing with complaints, dealing with litigation, preparing accounts and learning how to do the statistics, etc.

The academic qualification need is a Level 4 Diploma in High Court Enforcement which is equivalent to a foundation degree. This is achieved via the recognised trade body approved by the Lord Chancellor, which is the High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA). This is achieved in conjunction with the awarding body the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM).

You start off as a student member of the HCEOA. In order to qualify for that you need a Level 3 or above Qualification in Taking Control of Goods, Law or Credit Management. You would then work your way through the 8 written assignment-based level 4 High Court Enforcement awards to gain the credits for the Level 4 Diploma in High Court Enforcement.

The practical experience must be signed off at each stage by your supervising HCEO in a logbook. The completed logbook along with your qualification is then passed to the HCEOA for approval in order for you to become an Associate member of the HCEOA. At that point you can apply via the Ministry of Justice to the Lord Chancellor to become authorised.

Further information

Telephone or email Derby Legal Services.