Corporate DS/UK/P/731 Derbyshire; Derbyshire County Quarter Sessions Derbyshire County Quarter Sessions Derbyshire

The Court of Quarter Sessions was the meeting of the Justices of the Peace held 4 times a year from 1362 to 1971 when Quarter Sessions were abolished. ¶ ¶Keepers or conservators of the peace had been periodically appointed from 1285 but their powers were limited as they had no power to enquire into felonies or to determine (judge and punish) cases. It was not until 1361 that they became justices rather than merely keepers of the peace and that provision was made for the appointment of a custos rotulorum (keeper of the rolls or records). From 1362, the Justices were to meet 4 times a year. In Derbyshire their meetings were generally known as Hilary, Easter, Midsummer and Michaelmas Sessions, respectively sitting in January, April, July and October. ¶ ¶In 1487, the Justices were empowered to take bail and, in 1495, to punish on information without indictment (formal accusation by the grand jury for trial). In 1638, their judicial powers were placed on a statutory basis, their duties to maintain the peace, International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Derbyshire Record Office Collections Manual Section 7 v5.1 (May 2020) Yes DERBYSHIRE\a7005277 31/12/2021 a49871e1-0636-4d07-8c8e-6b573623e039