NRS-18013 | Depositions [Ashford Court of Petty Sessions]

These papers are those of the proceedings of the Court in its jurisdiction over less serious criminal matters and minor civil complaints.Cases are numbered and/or listed as they are received by the Court although usually some time elapses before a case is heard. Initially the papers were given an annual running number with charge and summons cases being numbered in separate sequences. The papers are arranged by these numbers and therefore also roughly arranged by date. This arrangement continues until the 1950s. From that time each case was given a running number with an alphabetical prefix. The papers are filed by this number regardless of when the case is heard. The arrangement changes again in the 1960s.Papers for each day are tied into bundles, which are usually prefaced by a list of the cases set down to be heard that day. The list details case number (usually a daily number), name of defendant, offence, name of informant, and result. In later years it also gives the date of birth of the defendant, tape number and counter number. The cases are listed by category which includes: Charge cases (fresh and remand), Summons cases, Children's Court cases, Wardens Court cases, Licensing Court cases, Liquor Court cases, Small Debts matters and Industrial Magistrates Court cases.Larger, busier courts often created whole bundles of traffic matters. Some courts also hold records of cases heard before Justices of the Peace; these often related to drunkenness.Papers for each case may include charge and summons sheets, statements of evidence presented to the Court, bench sheets, arrest forms and police interviews, pre-sentence reports, bail papers, community service orders, notices of appeal to higher courts, warrants, interview transcriptions, records of proceedings, sworn statements, subpoenas, Certificates of convictions, accident reports, information (general purpose) papers, noxious plant and animal notifications, declarations, correspondence, receipts, applications for summons, language sheets, fingerprint records, records of exhibits, occasionally exhibits, surety forms relating to fines and recognisances.After 1974 country Courts of Petty Sessions commenced tape recordings of proceedings. From then transcriptions began to be made of only a number of cases in certain circumstances: committals for trial at a higher Court; if an appeal was to be lodged; or if there was a request for a copy of the proceedings by either of the parties involved.The previous complete paper record began to be replaced by a charge and summons sheet, transcriptions of certain cases, and the tape recordings of proceedings.In 1980 the continuing destruction of the tape recordings was authorised (1) and in 1995 authorisation was given for Depositions 1983 onwards to no longer be required as State archives (2).Endnotes 1. Archives Authority of NSW. Disposal Recommendation DR 2517, 1980 2. Archives Authority of NSW. Disposal Recommendation DR 5342, 1995

本批档案为某法院审理轻罪刑事案件及小额民事纠纷案件的诉讼卷宗。
案件按法院受理顺序编号并登记，但通常案件开庭审理前会间隔一段时间。早期卷宗采用年度流水号编号，起诉案件与传票案件分别单独编号。卷宗按该编号排序，因此大致按时间顺序排列，该编号规则沿用至20世纪50年代。
自20世纪50年代起，每个案件分配带有字母前缀的流水号，卷宗按该编号归档，不受案件实际开庭时间影响。该排序规则在20世纪60年代再次变更。
每日案件卷宗会被捆扎成卷，卷首通常附有当日排期开庭案件清单。清单详细列明案件编号（通常为当日编号）、被告人姓名、涉案罪名、举报人姓名及裁判结果。后期版本还会补充被告人出生日期、磁带编号及柜台编号。
案件按类别登记，类别包括：起诉案件（新案与还押案）、传票案件、少年法庭案件、典狱长法庭案件、许可法庭案件、酒类法庭案件、小额债务事项及工业治安法庭案件。
规模更大、业务更繁忙的法院通常会单独捆扎交通案件卷宗。部分法院还留存有太平绅士审理案件的记录，此类案件多与醉酒相关。
单份案件卷宗可能包含起诉文书与传票、提交法庭的证据陈述、庭审笔录底稿、逮捕登记表与警方讯问记录、量刑前调查报告、保释文书、社区服务令、向上级法院提起上诉的通知、法庭令状、讯问笔录、庭审记录、宣誓证词、传票、定罪证明书、事故报告、通用情报文书、有害动植物通报、声明书、往来函件、收据、传票申请、语言能力证明文书、指纹记录、证物记录，偶尔还会包含证物本身以及与罚金和具结担保相关的担保书。
1974年后，乡村小额治安法院（Court of Petty Sessions）开始对庭审过程进行录音。此后仅在特定情形下才会转录部分案件的庭审内容：包括提交上级法院审理的预审案件、拟提起上诉的案件，或案件任意一方提出庭审记录副本调取申请的情形。
此前完整的纸质卷宗开始被起诉与传票文书、特定案件的庭审转录文本以及庭审录音所取代。
1980年，官方批准持续销毁庭审录音磁带（1）；1995年，官方批准1983年及之后的证词笔录无需再作为州级档案留存（2）。
注释 1. 新南威尔士州档案管理局。处置建议DR 2517，1980年 2. 新南威尔士州档案管理局。处置建议DR 5342，1995年