VPRS 5484 Summary of Cases before the Police Magistrate at Launceston

Full description

This bound volume contains a summary of cases before the Police Magistrate at Launceston. For each case the name of the accused, the name of the ship the accused arrived on, the period of transportation (if the accused was a prisoner), the occupation of the accused (or to whom assigned if the accused was a prisoner), the charge, a summary of the case, the plea, the verdict and the sentence, if the accused was found guilty it was recorded.

If the accused was a transportee, then the transportation number was written next to prisoners; name. The date and the name of the Police Magistrate hearing the cases was noted before the first case of the day.

The Police Magistrate had jurisdiction over minor cases, the majority of cases in this instance involved prisoners who had absconded or who had been insolent or similar minor offences.

The Police Magistrate could reprimand those found guilty or he could impose sentence of imprisonment with hard labour or a number of lashes. The more serious offences, which the Police Magistrate could not hear, would be committed for trial in a higher court, probably a circuit court from Hobart.

This volume was originally purchased and accessioned by the Public Library of Victoria from the Fine Arts Society, a Melbourne furniture and arts dealer, in 1935 and was maintained by the Library's, Archives Division after its formation in 1955. The Archives Divison was re-established as the Public Record Office in April 1973. The volume was returned to the cutsody of the Archives Office of Tasmnia in March 2006.