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Public Record Office Victoria holds thousands of record series which relate to criminal convictions and court trials in Victoria. We do not have guides for all the records available, but the most popular record series are outlined below.
Criminal trial briefs are the set of documents that make up the Crown Prosecutor’s case against an individual committed for trial in either the County or Supreme Court. The Inquest Deposition file forms part of this documentation, in most instances, where the charges relate to murder or manslaughter.
What do I need to know before I start?
In most cases you will need to know the name of the prisoner or accused, sometimes the case file number, the name of the court and the year they were tried. How to find the case number is explained within the topic pages.
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Material in the Public Record Office Victoria archival collection contains words and descriptions that reflect attitudes and government policies at different times which may be insensitive and upsetting
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