Professor new Sheriff of Co Down

Professor new Sheriff of Co Down

1 February 2023

THE new Sheriff of County Down has been appointed.

He is Professor Mike Mawhinney and he succeeds Mr James Smyth, from Downpatrick.

The handover took place during a short ceremony at Montalto House in Ballynahinch last week which was attended by the Lord Lieutenant of Couy Down, Mr Gawn Rowan-Hamilton, former sheriffs and representatives from district councils.

A former pupil of Kilkeel High School, Professor Mawhinney lives in Lisburn with his wife, Pauline, and sons, Sam and Jack.

He completed a pharmacy degree, a doctorate in Pharmaceutics and an LLM in Medical Law.

His contribution to medicines regulation and education has been recognised nationally at the highest level and he has been elected as a Fellow by a number of prestigious bodies, including the Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs, the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland and the Faculty of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. He recently gained Chartered Scientist status through the UK Science Council

He was awarded the Territorial Decoration, was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2020 New Year’s Honours List and was recently presented with the Outstanding Contribution to the Pharmacy Profession Award. 

After establishing and heading up the Medicines Regulatory Group in the Department of Health, he is now Head of Regulatory Affairs in Community Pharmacy NI and holds honorary professorial positions at Queen’s University of Belfast and at the Ulster University.

He has also been appointed as an independent community observer for the Northern Ireland Policing Board and sits on the board of the Pharmacy Forum of Northern Ireland.

 The office of Sheriff is an ancient one that dates back nearly 1,000 years when the ‘Shire Reeve’ reported to the king on matters of law.

It is the oldest secular office in the UK and the sheriff is the sovereign's judicial representative in the county.

In his role, he will be invited to greet members of the Royal Family or heads of state if they visit Co Down and will receive High Court judges should they be presiding at a Court in the county.

Informally, the Sheriff will also receive a range of invitations to social and ceremonial functions in the area.

Speaking of his appointment, Professor Mawhinney said he was “very honoured to take up the role and I am looking forward to engaging with the local communities during my tenure”.