VPRS 16240 General Sessions/County Court Appeal Record Book, Melbourne

The Court of General Sessions exercised a purely criminal jurisdiction within the County Court.In 1968 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 an Appeal Record Book. Information recorded includes:- Case Number,- Names of the Appellant and the Respondent,-Conviction appealed against,- The court from whose decision the appeal was made,- date of hearing,- Judgment of the court, (appeal abandoned, dismissed),- Name of the Judge and- The date of transmission of the memorandum of the decision of the Court of General Sessions to the Clerk of Petty Sessions.The information is entered, signed and sealed after each court by the Clerk of the Peace.This series comprises Appeal Record Book.

一般季审法院（Court of General Sessions）仅在郡法院（County Court）管辖范围内行使刑事审判权。1968年，各地郡法院与一般季审法院被撤销，维多利亚州全境统一设立单一郡法院。因此，1968年之后的所有案件均为特定地区巡回审判的郡法院刑事案件。
郡法院审理的案件性质较治安法院（Magistrates' Court）更为严重，所涉案由包括抢劫罪、普通殴打罪以及受管制物质影响下驾驶罪。
根据《法院书记员工作指引》的相关规定，太平绅士办事员（Clerk of the Peace）需留存上诉记录簿。所记录的信息包括：案件编号、上诉人与被上诉人姓名、被上诉的定罪判决、作出原判决的法院、庭审日期、法院裁判结果（上诉撤回或驳回）、主审法官姓名，以及一般季审法院裁判决定书送达治安法院书记员（Clerk of Petty Sessions）的日期。
每次庭审结束后，太平绅士办事员需录入相关信息并签字盖章。本数据集即为上诉记录簿系列档案。