VPRS 1944 Court of Petty Sessions Cause List Books

JurisdictionCourts 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.ContentIn 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.

治安法院（Courts of Petty Sessions），即1971年起改称的裁判法院（Magistrates' Courts），审理范围涵盖极广泛的"轻微"法庭案件。除大量专门审裁处外，它们是民事与刑事案件的最低层级救济渠道，更严重的刑事案件及大型民事纠纷则由郡法院（County Court）、最高法院（Supreme Court）及各类联邦法院（Commonwealth courts）审理并裁决。
治安法院/裁判法院的司法管辖权历经变迁，总体呈扩张趋势，其管辖范围通常包含以下几类案件：
刑事管辖权方面，涵盖《简易程序犯罪法》下的全部罪名，包括交通违法、轻微袭击与毒品犯罪、猥亵言语、非法侵入。部分被称为公诉罪（indictable offences）的较严重犯罪可在治安法院/裁判法院或上级法院审理，包括特定金额以下的盗窃、入室盗窃、猥亵袭击、违反卖淫管制法的行为、故意损坏财物、职业健康与安全犯罪。此外，治安法院/裁判法院还负责进行提审程序（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。
民事管辖权包括合同纠纷产生的债权请求、过失（negligence）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。
牌照管辖权在20世纪有所缩减。不同时期其管辖范围曾包括发放黄金收购商、拍卖商、承运人、当铺经营者、房地产经纪、商业代理及次级代理、调查代理、小贩与沿街叫卖者的牌照。至1991年，裁判法院仍可发放的牌照仅余商业代理与次级代理牌照，以及小贩与沿街叫卖者牌照。
家庭法管辖权涵盖子女抚养费评估、赡养费给付、抚养权、监护权、探视权、姓名变更、未成年人结婚、事实婚姻伴侣（de facto partners）的财产权益，以及1987年起新增的家庭暴力保护令（family violence intervention orders）。20世纪30年代至50年代期间，治安法院还负责办理收养手续。

### 案件清单簿与法庭登记册
历届《治安法官法》（Justices Acts）均要求治安法院书记官留存治安法院所有裁决与命令的记录，该记录为法庭的权威档案。约1888年以前，用于该用途的卷宗被称为"案件清单簿"（Cause List Book，此处"案件"指民事诉求或刑事案件）；此后则改称"登记册"，尽管格式略有调整，但其功能始终未变。

#### 内容
19世纪时，绝大多数治安法院会随案审理刑事、民事及非酒类/酒馆许可类的牌照相关案件。因此，案件清单簿通常会详细记录所有此类案件。仅规模最大、业务最繁忙的法庭才会将民事、刑事及牌照案件分别记录。
19世纪时，治安法官（Justices of the Peace）还负责发放酒馆牌照，且至少自19世纪80年代起，治安法官主持各牌照辖区内的牌照法庭。部分情况下，案件清单簿也会包含牌照法庭的记录，但通常法庭会另行维护单独的登记册。
案件清单簿通常采用统一格式：每页顶部记录法庭名称、开庭日期、法庭主席及其他主审官员姓名。对于每起审理中的案件，需记录投诉人、被告姓名、应缴费用、案由（即刑事指控或民事诉求性质）、裁决结果及备注。备注栏有时用于记录罚金或费用的缴纳情况。
为验证案件清单簿中条目真实性，法庭主审官员需于每日庭审结束后在簿册上签字。