AGY-4789 | East Maitland Court of General and Quarter Sessions

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The East Maitland Court of General and Quarter Sessions was established 5 August 1861 (1). Records show that the domiciles of Maitland Court of General and Quarter Sessions, East Maitland Court of General and Quarter Sessions and West Maitland Court of General and Quarter Sessions were used interchangeably for some time but the Courts operated concurrently (2). The Courts of General and Quarter Sessions were arranged into districts. The East Maitland Court was placed in the Hunter River District in 1861 and remained there until 1865. From 1866 until 1877 the East Maitland Court was within the Metropolitan and Coastal District, from 1878 to 1890 in the Metropolitan and Hunter District, 1891 to 1902 in the Metropolitan, Suburban and Hunter District, 1903 to 1954 in the Southern and Hunter District until it appears that the East Maitland Court superseded the Maitland Court of General and Quarter Sessions (3) In 1955 the East Maitland Court was transferred from the Southern and Hunter Divsion to the newly created Hunter Division where it stayed until the system of Quarter Sessions was discontinued. The role of the Court of Quarter Sessions was to hear less serious criminal cases. The dates of hearings at the East Maitland Court were proclaimed in the NSW Government Gazette. The court ceased on 1 July 1973 when Courts of General and Quarter Sessions were abolished and the district courts took on the Criminal as well as the civil jurisdiction. East Maitland Court of General and Quarter Sessions became a Court in the District Court Criminal and Special Jurisdiction South Hunter Division. Endnotes:
(1) NSW Government Gazette 14 June,1861 p.1310 (2) NSW Government Gazette 13 September 1861 p.1965 (3) NSW Law Almanac 1954 Reference: Law Almanac, NSW Government Printer, 1882 - 1973 Government Gazette, NSW Government Printer, - 1973