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Series VPRS 1669
Court of Petty Sessions Registers - Civil Cases
About this Series Related Series Accessing the records in this Series
Date Range: Series 1888 - 1923
  Series in Custody 1888 - 1923
  Contents 1888 - 1923
Public Access: Part Open
Location: North Melbourne
Format of Records: Physical
 
Agency which created this SeriesAgency which created this Series
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Date Range Agency Title Agency Number
1888 - 1923 Melbourne Courts VA 518
Agency currently responsible for this SeriesAgency currently responsible for this Series
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Date Range Agency Title Agency Number
1992 - cont Department of Justice VA 3085
Description of this SeriesDescription of this Series
  • How to use the Records
    Cases were recorded in Civil/Summons Registers in chronological order by the date of hearing.

  • Function / Content
    Successive Justices' Acts and, more recently, Magistrates' Court Acts have required the clerk or registrar of the court to make and keep a register of all convictions, orders and other proceedings of the court. This register is the authoritative record of the court.

    In the twentieth century many courts, particularly larger ones, maintained several sequences of registers according to different types of matters dealt with by the court. Typically, separate registers were maintained according to the means by which the defendant was brought to court. Civil or Summons Registers record details of cases where the defendant was brought to court by means of a summons and include civil cases and cases of a quasi-criminal nature. The other main mechanism for bringing defendants to court was by arrest.

    Civil/Summons Registers are generally in the same format as all other Petty Sessions Registers, giving details of the case number, the name of the prosecutor or informant, the name of the accused or defendant, how the case came to the court (in all cases this would state "summons"), the fees or court costs accrued, a description of the charge, cause or proceeding, the decision or order and any remarks. The column for remarks was often used to record the payment of fines and fees. In order to authenticate entries made in the register, the presiding officer(s) of the court signed the register at the end of each day.

  • Recordkeeping System
    Each case was allocated a consecutive number in chronological order by the date the case came before the court. An annual numbering system was used, in which case numbers reverted to 1 at the beginning of each year. The case number was annotated onto all documents, known as process, lodged with the court during the case.
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Indexes and RegistersIndexes and Registers
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Date Range Series Title Series Number
1907 - 1923 Index to Court of Petty Sessions Civil Register VPRS 10667
Controlled SeriesControlled Series
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Date Range Series Title Series Number
Previous SeriesPrevious Series
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Transfer Date Series Title Series Number
- 1888 Cause List Books - Civil Cases VPRS 1662
Subsequent SeriesSubsequent Series
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Transfer Date Series Title Series Number
List/s of records in this seriesList/s of records in this series
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Consignment Number Contents Date Range Public Access No. of Units
P0000 1888 - 1923 Part Open 185
Indexes and RegistersIndexes and Registers
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Date Range Series Title Series Number
1907 - 1923 Index to Court of Petty Sessions Civil Register VPRS 10667
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