The Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland (JABS) is pleased to announce the launch of its recruitment exercise for appointment to the Office of Sheriff.

Office of Sheriff Recruitment 2026-27

JABS is inviting applications for appointment to the Office of Sheriff. There are a number of vacancies which are detailed on the JABS website.

The application period opened on Friday 6 November 2026 and closes at 12 noon on Wednesday 2 December 2026.

The office of Sheriff is a position of significant responsibility within Scotland’s justice system. JABS welcomes applications from a diverse range of eligible individuals and encourages candidates from a broad variety of professional and personal backgrounds to consider applying.

To support prospective applicants, JABS has published a series of outreach and guidance videos providing information on:

• Sheriffs Principal providing an overview of their sheriffdoms
• Working as a Sheriff
• The application process
• Interview preparation and guidance These resources are available on the JABS YouTube channel.

Further information, including the Advert, Role Profile and Application Guidance Note, is available on the JABS website. To view the available vacancies via the JABS website, please click here.

For enquiries regarding the recruitment exercise, please contact: mailbox@jabs.gov.scot.