Modern Legal Records: Criminal Justice and Society in England, 1775 - 2000

The Postgraduate Archival Skills Training (PAST) programme offers students a unique opportunity to obtain the skills and knowledge needed to undertake academic research using original records at The National Archives (TNA).

*Please note that this is a one-day workshop on site at The National Archives on 17 July 2024*

You may also be interested in our companion workshop, Modern Legal Records: Civil Justice and Society in England and Wales, circa 1840 - 1985 on 16 July 2024.

This Modern Legal Records workshop will provide you with the essential skills you need to identify and access original source material amongst the records created by the superior courts in the administration of criminal justice, from circa 1775 to circa 2000. During each session you will receive tuition and guidance on a range of archival research skills from our legal records specialists, and you will also undertake practical exercises involving hands-on document work.

During the workshop you will trace the changes in the criminal justice system in England within the modern period. You will then consider the records held by The National Archives in respect of the courts and lawyers in the modern period. The day will begin with an introduction to the criminal justice system and how to navigate an archival trail through its records. The sessions which follow will focus on Assize records, the records of the Central Criminal Court, records created in the pre-trial and post-trial stages of the criminal justice journey, and crown court records and issues of records access.

At the end of the workshop, you will have increased confidence in your ability to find and use previously challenging modern documents created in the administration of the Criminal Justice System. You will also have a better understanding of some of the issues which can arise in their use for research. This event is aimed at current taught postgraduate and doctoral students, although other researchers are welcome to attend. This is a level three workshop within the PAST programme, and will be investigating complex and demanding archival collections, but you will be supported by expert staff throughout. There are no pre-requisites for attendance.

For more information about the PAST programme please see The National Archives' website or email [email protected].

Tea & coffee in the public restaurant area

You may also use this time to register for a Reader’s Ticket if you wish to order documents to view after day one. Please note, you do not need a Reader’s Ticket to participate in the workshop, but the reading rooms are open until 7pm if you wish to pursue your own research. Please note that this is not compulsory, and any evening work will be private research, without tutors from the course present. Details of the documents you need for a Reader’s Ticket can be found here.

This introductory session will give you an overview of the Criminal Justice System in England in the modern period. It will then discuss how you can navigate a path through the records which it has created, and considers some of the methodological issues which you may encounter in using them for research.

This session examines the types of records created by the Assize Courts in the administration of criminal justice. Students will learn to locate and use records from the relevant record series through practical work with original documents.

Lunch is not provided. Food and drink can be purchased from our on-site café, or alternatively there are shops and cafés a short walk away in Kew Retail Park and near Kew Gardens station.

This session begins with a brief introduction to the history of the Central Criminal Court and its business. It then examines the types of records created by the Central Criminal Court. Students will then learn to locate and use records from the relevant record series through practical work with original documents.

Shifting the focus away from the criminal trial itself, this session explores the broader landscape of the Criminal Justice System and its records. It will look at the records created during the investigation of a crime and the pre-trial process, the records created when offenders petitioned for mercy or appealed their conviction, and the records which evidence the implementation of sentence. Once again, students will learn to locate and use the records through practical work with original documents.

The final session of the day will examine the types of records created, and selected for permanent preservation, in respect of the business of the crown courts. This session will include a discussion of the practical issues which arise in the use of these records, including issues around sensitive and distressing content and the use of closed records.

17:00 Close

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