Amelia Riviere has been sworn in as the new High Sheriff for 2023/24 in the presence of Mr Justice Wall. 

The ceremony took place on Tuesday March 28 at Winchester Crown Court and was attended by the outgoing High Sheriff, Lady Edwina Grosvenor, the Lord-Lieutenant, Mr Nigel Atkinson, and the Recorder of Winchester, HHJ Angela Morris.

Born in Winchester, Ms Riviere grew up in Oxford before moving to London where she joined Henderson Pension Fund Management in June 1988 straight from university. 

She spent her professional life in London, working as both a fund manager and an equity salesman in the UK and European stock markets, latterly specialising in the media sector.

She retired from Citi Group in 2003 to have her son, Gabriel.

Since then, she has combined her interests in the creative arts with her support for the judicial system. She is a magistrate on the North Hampshire Bench, sitting in both the adult and youth jurisdictions. 

She has a particular interest in substance addiction and its broader effects, especially among the young, having been a member of the drug rehabilitation requirement panel.

She is also on the warrant panel, dealing with search warrants, mental health warrants and immigration warrants across the south west. She is also a member of the crown court appeal panel, sitting on appeals against decisions made in the lower courts. In 2022 Amelia was appointed to the independent monitoring board of HMP Winchester.

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She plays an active role in supporting the voluntary community and social enterprise sector in her role as trustee of Allegra’s Ambition, a small family run grant giving trust supporting young, disadvantaged people through sport and nature. 

She is vice chair of trustees at Trinity Winchester, a homeless charity supporting people who are vulnerable to the effects of homelessness, addiction, physical and mental ill health, poverty, social isolation and domestic abuse. 

Ms Riviere is a trustee of The Hampton Trust, a charity working to prevent violence, domestic abuse and social isolation through education and intervention. 

Ms Riviere said: “It is a great honour to be High Sheriff of Hampshire. I very much look forward to meeting people who work and volunteer within law and order and the blue light services of Hampshire. I hope to celebrate the work of existing volunteers and to encourage a new generation to step forward.”

The Office of High Sheriff is an independent non-political Royal appointment for a single year. There are 55 High Sheriffs serving the counties of England and Wales each year.