Collection GB 0074 PS/HOR - HORSEFERRY ROAD MAGISTRATES COURT

11.3 linear metres

GB 0074 PS/HOR 1975-1999 Collection 11.3 linear metres Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court , 1974-2006
The City of Westminster Magistrates' Court , 2006-

Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court: Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court opened in 1974 in response to the demand for more courtrooms in London. It joined Bow Street and Marlborough Street Magistrates' Courts as part of the South Westminster Petty Sessions Division of the Inner London Magistrates' Court Service.

Horseferry Road opened with four courtrooms to which two more were added in the early 1980s. Originally named after Horseferry Road where the court is sited, it was renamed The City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in July 2006 after the closure of Bow Street.

History of magistrates courts: An Act of 1792 established seven 'Public Offices' (later Police offices and Police courts) in the central Metropolitan area. The aim was to establish fixed locations where 'fit and able magistrates' would attend at fixed times to deal with an increasing number of criminal offences.

Offices were opened in St Margaret Westminster, St James Westminster, Clerkenwell, Shoreditch, Whitechapel, Shadwell and Southwark. An office in Bow Street, Covent Garden, originally the home of the local magistrate, had been operating for almost 50 years and was largely the model for the new offices.

In 1800 the Marine Police Office or Thames Police Office, opened by 'private enterprise' in 1798, was incorporated into the statutory system. In 1821 an office was opened in Marylebone, apparently replacing the one in Shadwell.

Each office was assigned three Justices of the Peace. They were to receive a salary of £400 per annum. These were the first stipendiary magistrates. Later they were expected to be highly qualified in the law, indeed, to be experienced barristers. This distinguished them from the local lay justices who after the setting up of Police Offices were largely confined, in the Metropolitan area, to the licensing of innkeepers. In addition each office could appoint up to six constables to be attached to it.

The commonly used term of 'Police Court' was found to be misleading. The word 'police' gave the impression that the Metropolitan Police controlled and administered the courts. This was never the case, the word 'police' was being used in its original meaning of 'pertaining to civil administration', 'regulating', etc.

In April 1965 (following the Administration of Justice Act 1964) the London Police Courts with their stipendiary magistrates were integrated with the lay magistrates to form the modern Inner London Magistrates' Courts.

The police courts dealt with a wide range of business coming under the general heading of 'summary jurisdiction', i.e. trial without a jury. The cases heard were largely criminal and of the less serious kind. Over the years statutes created many offences that the courts could deal with in addition to Common Law offences. Examples include: drunk and disorderly conduct, assault, theft, begging, possessing stolen goods, cruelty to animals, desertion from the armed forces, betting, soliciting, loitering with intent, obstructing highways, and motoring offences. Non-criminal matters included small debts concerning income tax and local rates, landlord and tenant matters, matrimonial problems and bastardy.

Offences beyond the powers of the Court would normally be passed to the Sessions of the Peace or Gaol Delivery Sessions in the Old Bailey (from 1835 called the Central Criminal Court). From the late 19th century such cases would be the subject of preliminary hearings or committal proceedings in the magistrates' courts.

Outside the London Police Court Area but within the administrative county of Middlesex lay justices continued to deal with both criminal offences and administrative matters such as the licensing of innkeepers.

The exact area covered by a Court at any particular time can be found in the Kelly's Post Office London Directories, available on microfilm at LMA. The entries are based on the original Orders-in-Council establishing police court districts. A map showing police court districts is kept in the Information Area of LMA with other reference maps. Please ask a member of staff for assistance.

Deposited in 2006.

Records of Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court, 1975-1999, including court registers; domestic proceedings; licensing and protection orders; rates registers; probation orders; adoption cases and custodianship cases.

Court registers record the date of the hearing, the name of the informant or complainant (often the police), the name of the defendant, a brief note of the offence and the decision of the magistrate. Court minute books or notebooks are rough notes of the proceedings recording the gist of the evidence given.

Domestic proceedings: A married woman under the provisions of the Summary Jurisdiction (Married Women) Act 1895 and subsequent Acts could go to a magistrates' court and apply for orders which in certain circumstances would enable her to separate from her husband, have custody of any children and receive maintenance from him. Under the Poor Law Amendment Act 1844 a mother expecting a bastard child or who had given birth to one could obtain a maintenance order against the putative father.

PS/HOR/01: Court Registers;
PS/HOR/02: Domestic Proceedings;
PS/HOR/03: Occasional Licensing and Protection Orders Registers;
PS/HOR/04: Rates Registers;
PS/HOR/05: Variation and Probation Orders;
PS/HOR/06: Adoption Cases;
PS/HOR/07: Custodianship Cases.

These records are available for public inspection, although some records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.
English

Fit

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. November 2009 to February 2010 Family law Finance Fiscal policy Taxation Local taxation Legal systems Magistrates courts Legal history Probation Courts Information sources Records and correspondence Records (documents) Court records Court papers Law Licensing Social welfare Child welfare Adoption Administration of justice Legal procedure Civil law Magistrates Legal profession personnel Personnel People by occupation People Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court , 1974-2006 The City of Westminster Magistrates' Court , 2006- City of Westminster London England UK Western Europe Europe

Deposited in 2006.

Records of Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court, 1975-1999, including court registers; domestic proceedings; licensing and protection orders; rates registers; probation orders; adoption cases and custodianship cases.

Court registers record the date of the hearing, the name of the informant or complainant (often the police), the name of the defendant, a brief note of the offence and the decision of the magistrate. Court minute books or notebooks are rough notes of the proceedings recording the gist of the evidence given.

Domestic proceedings: A married woman under the provisions of the Summary Jurisdiction (Married Women) Act 1895 and subsequent Acts could go to a magistrates' court and apply for orders which in certain circumstances would enable her to separate from her husband, have custody of any children and receive maintenance from him. Under the Poor Law Amendment Act 1844 a mother expecting a bastard child or who had given birth to one could obtain a maintenance order against the putative father.

PS/HOR/01: Court Registers;
PS/HOR/02: Domestic Proceedings;
PS/HOR/03: Occasional Licensing and Protection Orders Registers;
PS/HOR/04: Rates Registers;
PS/HOR/05: Variation and Probation Orders;
PS/HOR/06: Adoption Cases;
PS/HOR/07: Custodianship Cases.

These records are available for public inspection, although some records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.

• English

• Latin

English

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

• English