VPRS 16730 Court of General Sessions Criminal Record Record Book

The Court of General Sessions exercised a purely criminal jurisdiction. In 1968 all local County Courts and the Court of General Sessions were abolished and one County Court for the whole of Victoria was established. Therefore all cases after 1968 are criminal cases of the County Court sitting on circuit at a particular location. The County Court heard cases of a more series nature than the Magistrates' Court. Cases heard include robbery, common assault and driving under the influence. In accordance with the provisions of Instructions to Clerks of Courts, the Clerks of the Peace were required to keep a Criminal Record Book. This book which formed the record of criminal trials and judgements in General Sessions was kept in the form provided. The sentence was fully set out with months as calendar" months, hard labour (if the sentence included that), and the name of the gaol to which the prisoner was committed. The despatch of the triplicate return of prisoners convicted to the Law Office was to be noted in the Remarks column and it was forwarded immediately upon the conclusion of the sitting of the court. The time of commencement and termination of the Court Sittings and the time of retirement and return of Jury was to be noted in the Remarks column. The book was signed and sealed by the Clerk or Deputy Clerk of the Peace after each sitting. Any fine imposed on jurors, in General Sessions was recorded in the book.

总治安法院（Court of General Sessions）仅行使刑事管辖权。1968年，所有地方县级法院及总治安法院均被撤销，澳大利亚维多利亚州全境统一设立了单一的维多利亚州县法院（County Court）。因此，1968年之后的所有案件均为在特定地点巡回审理的维多利亚州县法院刑事案件。
相较于治安法院（Magistrates' Court），维多利亚州县法院管辖性质更为严重的案件，所审理的案件包括抢劫罪、普通殴打罪以及醉酒驾驶罪。
根据《法院书记员工作指引》（Instructions to Clerks of Courts）的规定，太平绅士书记员（Clerks of the Peace）需留存刑事记录簿。该簿册用于记录总治安法院的刑事审判与判决情况，采用指定制式留存。判决内容需完整载明：刑期以公历月数计算，若判决包含苦役刑则予以注明，同时写明囚犯被送交的监狱名称。
需在备注栏中注明将一式三份的定罪囚犯回执报送至法务办公室（Law Office）的相关事项，该回执需在法院庭审结束后立即寄出。
此外，法院庭审的起止时间，以及陪审团的退庭与归庭时间，均需记录于备注栏中。
每次庭审结束后，太平绅士书记员或其副手需在该簿册上签字并加盖印章。
若对陪审员处以罚款，相关罚款信息也需记录于本簿册中。