Shropshire Routes to Roots

As crime increased the burden of work became too much for the Quarter Sessions. By the 18th century another court, called the Petty Sessions, was created to deal with the workload. It was presided over by at least two magistrates, and eventually became known as a Magistrate's Court. It had jurisdiction over a specific Local Authority area and sat on a regular basis, depending on the level of offending in the area. It had, and still has, the power to remit the more serious crime to a higher court for sentencing or trial.

The Assize Court dates back to the 12th century and was the place where serious crimes, such as murder and rape were tried. It was presided over by a High Court Judge. It normally sat twice a year in each county, but again the workload increased to such an extent that, by the middle of the 19th century, the court was sitting three times a year, and for several weeks on end.

Increasingly, the work of the Assizes and the Quarter Sessions overlapped. In 1971, the two courts were abolished and their functions taken over by regional Crown Courts. (Manchester and Liverpool took this step in 1956)