NRS-13684 | Letters received by the Chief Justice and/or judges from the Colonial Secretary

These are letters received from the Colonial Secretary: enclosing petitions for mitigation of sentences and/or requesting reports on convictions (particularly capital convictions); notifying judges of commutations of sentences by the Governor-in-Council, of sentences imposed by courts martial (in order that the necessary arrangements for transportation could be made), and the time and place where sentences of death were to be put into effect; requesting legal opinions (eg. on the admissibility of convict evidence, on the suggestion that convicts charged with capital offences on Norfolk Island should be tried there, rather than being sent to Sydney, and on draft legislation); concerning the appointment, resignation and dismissal of officers of the Supreme Court, the abolition of certain officers (eg. Master in Equity after the insolvency of Carter) and officers' salaries); authorising the holding of Circuit Court sittings and relating to expenditure on Circuit Court sittings; transmitting lists of prisoners recommended by the Superintendent, Norfolk Island, to be returned to Sydney; and requesting statistics of criminal offences (to be supplied to the Secretary of State). Drafts of copies of replies may also be included. In some cases the Chief Justice or Chief Clerk of the Supreme Court has made a notation that the relevant letter is to be copied in the Chief Justices' letter books NRS-13681 [4/6652-54, 4/6657].(5/4758-59). 2 boxes.Note:This description is extracted from Concise Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales, 3rd Edition 2000.