NRS-2915 | Depositions [Coffs Harbour 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.

本批文献为该法院管辖轻罪刑事案件与小额民事申诉事项的法庭诉讼记录汇编。案件按法院收案顺序编号或列档，但通常需历经一段时间后方能开庭审理。早期文献采用年度流水号，起诉案件与传票案件分别独立编号。文献依该编号排序，因此大致也按时间顺序排列，这一编排方式延续至20世纪50年代。
20世纪50年代起，每起案件被赋予带有字母前缀的流水号，文献将按此编号归档，不再受开庭审理时间的影响。这一编排方式在20世纪60年代再次调整：每日案件将被装订为卷宗，卷宗首页通常附有当日排期开庭的案件清单。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。后期清单还会补充被告人出生日期、录音带编号与副卷编号。
案件按类别列档，类别包括：起诉案件（新案与还押案件）、传票案件、少年法庭案件、典狱长法庭案件、牌照许可法庭案件、酒类专卖法庭案件、小额债务纠纷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设立交通违法案件卷宗。部分法院还留存有治安法官审理案件的记录，此类记录多涉及醉酒类案件。
单起案件的卷宗材料可能包括：起诉与传票文书、提交法庭的证据陈述材料、法官庭审记录单、逮捕文书与警方讯问记录、量刑前调查报告、保释申请文书、社区服务令、向上级法院提起上诉的通知书、令状、讯问转录稿、庭审记录、宣誓证词、传票、定罪证明书、事故调查报告、通用信息文书、有害动植物通报、声明书、往来函件、收据、传票申请文书、语言适配文书、指纹记录、证物登记记录，偶附证物本身，以及与罚金和具结相关的担保文书。
1974年起，乡村治安法院（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：包括需移交上级法院审理的交付审判案件、拟提起上诉的案件，或案件任意一方当事人申请获取庭审记录副本的情形。此前完整的纸质档案开始逐步被起诉与传票文书、特定案件的庭审转录稿以及庭审录音所取代。
1980年，相关机构获批持续销毁庭审录音带（1）；1995年，获批自1983年起的证词笔录不再需作为州级档案留存（2）。
尾注：
(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。