VPRS 8719 Court of Petty Sessions Cause List Books and Licensing Register

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.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.

简易裁判法院（Courts of Petty Sessions）与治安法院（Magistrates' Courts）管辖权
简易裁判法院，或1971年起改称的治安法院，处理范围极广的“轻微”法庭事务。除大量专门裁判庭外，它们是民事与刑事案件的最低层级司法救济渠道，更严重的刑事案件与标的额更大的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）审理裁决。

简易裁判法院/治安法院的管辖权历经调整，整体呈现扩张态势，通常涵盖以下几类案件：
刑事管辖权涵盖《简易犯罪法》下的全部犯罪，包括交通违法、轻微袭击与毒品犯罪、猥亵言语、非法侵入。部分较为严重的可公诉罪行（indictable offences）可在简易裁判法院/治安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、违反卖淫监管法规的行为、故意损坏财物罪、职业健康与安全犯罪。此外，简易裁判法院/治安法院还负责进行交付审判程序（committal proceedings），以判定涉及更严重犯罪的案件是否应移交上级法院审理。

民事管辖权涵盖合同纠纷产生的债权请求、违反义务（如过失）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，以及应缴税款的追索请求。

许可管辖权在20世纪有所缩减。不同时期其权限曾包括核发黄金收购商、拍卖商、承运人、典当商、房地产经纪、商业代理人及副代理人、调查代理人、小贩与摊贩的牌照。至1991年，治安法院仅核发商业代理人与副代理人、小贩与摊贩的牌照。

家事管辖权涵盖子女抚养费评估、扶养、监护、托管、探视、姓名变更、未成年人结婚、事实婚姻伴侣（de facto partners）的财产权益，以及自1987年起增设的家庭暴力保护令。20世纪30年代至50年代期间，简易裁判法院还负责办理收养登记。

案件清单簿（Cause List Books）与法庭登记簿（Court Registers）
历任《治安法官法（Justices Acts）》均要求简易裁判法院书记员留存所有法庭裁决与命令的记录，此类记录为法庭的权威档案。约1888年之前，用于该用途的卷宗被称为“案件清单簿”（“cause”指案件：包括民事请求或刑事案件）；此后则改称“登记簿”，尽管格式略有调整，但功能始终未变。

卷宗内容
19世纪，绝大多数简易裁判法院会随案处理刑事、民事与许可（不含酒类/酒馆许可）事务。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、刑事与许可案件分开记录。

19世纪，治安法官还负责核发酒馆酒类牌照，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庭。部分情况下，案件清单簿也会收录许可法庭的记录，但通常会另行设立单独登记簿。

案件清单簿通常采用统一格式：每页顶部会记录法庭名称、开庭日期、法庭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、案由（即刑事指控或民事请求的性质）、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。

为确保案件清单簿中登记内容的真实性，法庭主审官员需在每日庭审结束后签字确认。