Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Bench books
General material designation
- textual record
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on the contents of the series.
Level of description
Series
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1864-1964 (Creation)
- Creator
- British Columbia. Judiciary
Physical description area
Physical description
780 volumes
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Custodial history
Records in the file in container 002340-1024 were originally transferred with accession G85-128 (BC Court, Kamloops; minute books, ca. 1880-1887) but were reaccessioned at the Archives into G88-135. These records complement those found in volumes 15 and 16, and may have been torn out of another of Walkem's benchbooks.
Scope and content
This series comprises mostly of bench books for civil and criminal cases heard by various judges and chief justices in the Supreme Court, County Court, Court of Appeal, Admiralty Court, Circuit Courts and Assizes. The series also includes notes on commissions of inquiry as well as miscellaneous court information. Civil and criminal cases are often included in the same volume and records from different judges, different levels of courts, different time periods and geographic areas may be mixed in the same volume, particularly for the earlier period..
For loose material removed from the volumes in GR-1727 see GR-2783.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Justice Walkem's records in container 002340-2024 were originally transferred from Kamloops Sherriff Services in 1985 with accession G85-128 (BC Court, Kamloops; minute books, ca. 1880-1887) but were reaccessioned at the Archives into G88-135.
Justice Calder's records in container 902071-0001 were originally transferred from Court Services in 1993 with accession G85-124 (BC mixed court records (Kamloops); mechanics lien and minute books) but were reaccessioned at the Archives into G88-135.
Stipendiary Magistrate H A Bryant's records in container 902071-0001 were originally transferred from the Government Agent in Quesnel in 1980 with accession G80-017 (Record book containing notes of Stipendiary Magistrate H.A. Bryant) but were reaccessioned at the Archives in G88-135.
A bench book belonging to Justice Archer Martin dated 1940 from the Court of Appeal was donated by the Victoria Courthouse in 2021.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Records created prior to 1910 are open. All other bench books may be accessed only for historical or statistical research purposes, and the terms of access will be subject to the BC Archives research agreement. All requests for access to post-1909 bench books must be vetted by either the judge who created the bench book(s), or if that judge is deceased, by the Chief Justice or Judge of the relevant court.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
- Finding aid.
- See end of hardcopy finding aid, in reference room, for alphabetical list of judges with positions held and applicable volumes.
- http://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Document/Finding_Aids_Atom/GR-1501_to_GR-2000/gr-1727.pdf
Associated materials
Bench books may also be found in GR-0584, GR-1889, GR-1607, GR-1889, GR-2025, GR-2029, GR-2030 to GR-2035 , GR-2084 to GR-2087, GR-2183, GR-2185, GR-2183, GR-2196, GR-2197, GR-2310, GR-2411.
Accruals
A bench book from Justice Archer Martin from the Court of Appeal for 1940 was added to the series in 2021.
General note
Archives code(s): G81-050.
General note
Accession number(s): G81-050, G88-135, G85-128, G80-017, 2021.253
General note
Loose material relating to Justice Walkem found in container 002340-1024 has been described with this series, as appears to consist mainly of pages from Justice Walkem's bench books dating from 1886 to 1891. The material from 1886 covers the month of June, which is missing from volume 15 in this series. The pages cover cases heard at the Nelson County Court and Clinton and Kamloops Assizes, and several involve members of the local Indigenous and Chinese communities.
Accompanying material
For loose material removed from the volumes in GR-1727, see GR-2783.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- British Columbia. Judiciary (Subject)
- British Columbia (Colony). Supreme Court of Civil Justice (Subject)
- British Columbia. County Court (Subject)
- British Columbia. Supreme Court (Subject)