VPRS 1974 Court of Petty Sessions Cause List Books

Cause List Books were created at Kew Court of Petty Sessions from 1862 until 1888, after which the equivalent records created were known as Court of Petty Sessions Registers (VPRS 1975).The Jurisdiction of Courts of Petty Sessions and Magistrates' CourtsCourts of Petty Sessions, or Magistrates' Courts as they have been called since 1971, dealt with a very large range of "minor" court matters. Apart from a large number of tribunals, they provide the lowest level of redress in civil and criminal matters, with the County Court, the Supreme Court and various Commonwealth courts hearing and determining more serious criminal cases and larger civil disputes.The jurisdiction of Courts of Petty Sessions / Magistrates' Courts has changed, and on the whole increased over time, but has usually included the following types of cases:The criminal jurisdiction includes all offences under Summary Offences legislation including traffic offences, minor assault and drug offences, obscene language, trespass. A number of more serious offences known as indictable offences may be tried in either the Petty Sessions/Magistrates' Court or a higher court. These include theft up to a certain value, burglary, indecent assault, offences against prostitution regulation legislation, criminal damage to property, occupational health and safety offences. Committal proceedings are also conducted in Courts of Petty Sessions/Magistrates' Courts in order to determine whether a case involving a more serious offence should proceed to a higher court.The civil jurisdiction includes claims for debts arising out of contractual disputes, claims for losses arising out of a breach of duty such as negligence, claims for damages arising out of motor vehicle accidents or assaults and claims for taxes due.The licensing jurisdiction has diminished in the twentieth century. At different times it has included the issue of licenses for gold buyers, auctioneers, carriers, pawnbrokers, estate agents, commercial agents and sub agents, inquiry agents, hawkers and pedlars. By 1991 the only licences still issued by Magistrates' Courts were for commercial agents and sub-agents and hawkers and pedlars.The family law jurisdiction includes matters relating to child support assessment, maintenance, custody, guardianship, access, change of name, marriage of under age persons, property interests of de facto partners and, since 1987, family violence intervention orders. From the ?1930's until the ?1950's Courts of Petty Sessions were also responsible for granting adoptions.Cause List Books and Court RegistersSuccessive Justices Acts required Clerks of Petty Sessions to keep a record of all decisions and orders made by Courts of Petty Sessions. This record is the authoritative record of the court. Until about 1888 volumes used for this purpose were called Cause List Books (a cause meaning a case: either a civil claim or a criminal matter). Thereafter they were known as Registers, and although their format altered slightly, their purpose remained the same.In the nineteenth century most Courts of Petty Sessions dealt with criminal, civil and licensing (other than liquor/publican's licensing) matters as they arose. Accordingly Cause List Books generally give details of all these types of cases. Only the largest and busiest courts recorded civil, criminal and licensing matters separately.In the nineteenth century Justices of the Peace were also responsible for the granting of publicans' licences and from at least the 1880's Justices of the Peace presided over Licensing Courts which operated in each licensing district. On some occasions Cause List Books also include Licensing Court records, although usually separate registers were maintained.Cause List Books are generally in a common format. At the top of each page are recorded details of the name of the court, the date of sitting and the name of the Chairman of the court and other presiding officer(s). For each case heard, details are given of the name of the complainant, defendant, any fees to be paid, the cause (ie the criminal charge or the nature of the civil claim) the decision and any remarks. The remarks column was sometimes used to record the payment of fines or fees.In order to authenticate entries made in the Cause List Book the presiding officer(s) of the court signed it at the end of each day.

案件目录册（Cause List Books）于1862年至1888年间在邱治安法院（Kew Court of Petty Sessions）编制，1888年之后生成的同类档案被称为治安法院登记册（Court of Petty Sessions Registers，档案编号VPRS 1975）。

治安法院，或1971年起改称的治安法官法院（Magistrates' Courts），管辖范围覆盖极广的“轻微”法庭案件。除大量专门裁判庭外，它们是民事与刑事案件中最低层级的救济途径，更严重的刑事案件及重大民事纠纷则由郡法院、最高法院及各类联邦法院审理裁决。

治安法院/治安法官法院的管辖权随时间推移发生变化，整体呈扩张趋势，通常涵盖以下几类案件：
刑事管辖方面，涵盖简易程序犯罪（Summary Offences）立法项下的全部罪名，包括交通违法、轻微袭击、毒品犯罪、猥亵言语、非法侵入。部分较为严重的可诉罪名（indictable offences）可在治安法院/治安法官法院或上级法院审理，包括特定价值以下的盗窃、入室盗窃、猥亵袭击、违反卖淫管制法规的行为、故意损坏财物、职业健康与安全（occupational health and safety）类犯罪。此外，治安法院/治安法官法院还负责开展提审程序（committal proceedings），以判定涉及严重犯罪的案件是否应移交上级法院审理。
民事管辖方面，包括合同纠纷产生的债权请求、过失等违反义务行为导致的损失赔偿请求、机动车事故或袭击引发的损害赔偿请求，以及应缴税款的追讨请求。
许可管辖方面，该类管辖范围在20世纪有所缩减。不同时期其许可核发范围曾包括黄金收购商、拍卖商、运输商、典当商、地产经纪、商业代理及副代理、调查代理、沿街叫卖者与小贩的执照。至1991年，治安法官法院仅核发商业代理、副代理及沿街叫卖者与小贩的执照。
家事法管辖方面，涵盖子女抚养评估、赡养费、监护权、看护权、探视权、姓名变更、未成年人结婚、事实伴侣（de facto partners）财产权益，以及1987年起新增的家庭暴力干预令相关事宜。20世纪30年代至50年代期间，治安法院还负责办理收养登记事宜。

## 案件目录册与法院登记册
历届《治安法官法》（Justices Acts）均要求治安法院书记员（Clerks of Petty Sessions）留存治安法院所有裁判与命令的记录，该记录为法院的权威档案。1888年以前，用于该用途的卷宗被称为“案件目录册（Cause List Books）”（“案件（cause）”指民事诉求或刑事案件），此后则改称“登记册”；尽管其格式略有调整，但功能始终未变。

19世纪时，大多数治安法院会随案处理刑事、民事及非酒类/酒馆许可类的许可事务。因此，案件目录册通常会详细记录所有此类案件，仅规模最大、业务最繁忙的法院才会将民事、刑事及许可类案件分别记录。

19世纪时，治安法官还负责核发酒馆执照，且至少自19世纪80年代起，治安法官便主持各许可辖区内的许可法院。部分情况下，案件目录册也会收录许可法院的档案，但通常法院会另行编制单独的登记册。

案件目录册通常采用统一格式：每页顶部会记录法院名称、开庭日期、法院庭长及其他主审官员的姓名。对于每起审理中的案件，会记录投诉人、被告人姓名、应缴费用、案件事由（即刑事指控或民事诉求的性质）、裁判结果及备注。备注栏有时用于记录罚金或费用的缴纳情况。

为确保案件目录册中登记内容的真实性，法院主审官员需在每日庭审结束后签字确认。