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The development of the criminal justice system since 1788

The colonial criminal justice system was derived from that in place in Great Britain but was altered to suit the conditions in New South Wales.
A man speaking to a judge while onlookers peer from a bench
© The University of Newcastle, Australia

Welcome ‘internet sleuths’ to Week 2 of the course.

This week, we will learn about the criminal justice system established in Australia from the time of British colonisation including the laws, the lawyers of the court system, and the punishments handed down. The system was derived from that in place in Great Britain but was altered to suit the conditions of the Australian colonies.

The second topic this week is the digital humanities resources now available to make historical records of crime and criminal prosecutions available for research purposes. We’ll be focusing particularly on the Prosecution Project.

© The University of Newcastle, Australia
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Casing the Joint: Introducing Histories of Crime

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