LAW LLB (UNIVERSITY DEGREE LEVEL)

TOPIC - THEORIES OF PUNISHMENT AND SENTENCING

Law LLB (university degree level)

Topic - Theories of Punishment and sentencing

Law LLB (university degree level)

Topic - Theories of Punishment and sentencing

case 1: Harold Smith, an 8 year old boy, convicted of pick-pocketing

Referrring to the case of Harold Smith and the juvenile court a child living in London at the end of the 19th century would have experienced a very different childhood to that of their grandparents born in the early years of the century. By 1899 London was an extremely crowded city, as more people came to live and find work in the capital. Many urban developments altered the lives of all children, but the experience of changing childhood in the 19th century was closely linked to family and social background. (Susan Cateye 2003 Pp. 77)

The life of a wealthy child was very different from that of a poor child. Wealthier children throughout the Victorian period were made aware of the suffering of the poor through the moral and religious education they received at Church Sunday schools. Those more comfortably off were encouraged to help those less fortunate than themselves by donating their money and time to charity. By the end of the 19th century, not only families but the government too had changed the way it treated children. At the time, more than a third of those living in England were under 15 years old. In an attempt to control the growing numbers of young people whilst, at the same time, protecting them from violence and poverty, the government introduced laws relating to the specific needs of children. This new attitude helped children to develop their own identity. They were no longer officially seen as 'miniature adults' but treated as a distinct social group with their own needs and interests which deserved special laws and treatment. Even as late as the 19th Century it was common to hang people for all sorts of crimes, ranging from housebreaking to pick-pocketing. Youngsters convicted of relatively minor offences - such as stealing fruit - were often flogged and jailed. However if the little boy has committed the crime for the first time based on his age he will be given a punishment of imprisonment.

case 2: Mary Jones, a single female aged 21, convicted of stealing money from her employer

Referring to her case it will have to be first found out the reason for snatching or steeling the money from her employer.

It should be recalled that the use of Latin in English official records was not totally abolished until 1733, apart from a short break at the time of the Commonwealth, and that writing earlier than 1660 may provide you with problems in reading.   Apart from the modern records, the vast majority of the material in the records described here is un-indexed.

Most courts created more than one class of record, and different classes of document may be more or less useful to different users.  The two most useful types of court record, if they survive, ...