policing

• JP’s stands for ‘Justices of the Peace.’
• The JPs are volunteers who have been appointed by the Lord Chancellor.
• JP’s were unpaid and usually owned land worth more than £20.
• in 1361, 3-4 JP’s were appointed per county, they had the power to arrest or fine people and had to do this alongside their normal jobs.
• JP’s were part time at first, but by the start of the 17th century they had to enforce over 309 laws.
• The role of the JP’s was split into 4 different responsibilities:

  • Maintaining law and order.
  • administrating local government.
  • carry out orders of the PRIVY council.
  • supervise the work of law enforcement officers.
• MAINTAINING LAW AND ORDER:

  • acted as judges on minor cases in the petty sessions like petty theft, drunkenness or fighting.
  • for more serious cases such as murder or witchcraft; they would all meet with the other JPs of the county as the Quarter sessions.
  • by 1554 they could lock up a suspect for 3 days to investigate the case.
  • by the 17th century a judge or jury had to deal with anything including the death penalty.
  • they could not deal with TREASON.
• ADMINISTRATING LOCAL GOVERNMENT:

  • they were expected to regulate or license pubs.
  • organise road-mending and bridge repair.
  • make sure that genuine vagrants had a license to beg.
• CARRY OUT THE ORDERS OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL:

  • make sure all acts passed by the privy council were obeyed.
• SUPERVISE THE WORK OF OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS:

  • by the 17th century JPs had to appoint a constable every parish.
  • they were in charge of watchmen and the sheriff.
• WELSH JP:

  • Sir edward stradling from St Donats Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan.
• Medieval policing was based on community action, Adult men were group into 19s and called TITHINGS. If one broke the law, the rest of the group would bring him to justice.
• if a victim raised an alarm (the hue and cry), everyone who heard it was expected to help.
• The Metropolitan Police Act 1829 created the METROPOLITAN POLICE FORCE. It covered London and its suburbs.
• TUDOR CONSTABLES were unpaid assistants of the JPs.
• TUDOR CONSTABLES didn’t have uniforms or weapons. Every able-bodied person was expected to o this.
• TUDOR CONSTABLES had to make arrests, watch out for vagabonds and catch petty thieves.