The administration of justice in Wales during the long eighteenth century

Abstract

While the last four-and-a-half decades has seen a growing body of historical scholarship on the administration of justice in England during the long eighteenth century, the administration of justice in Wales is a relatively neglected topic. This article reviews the relatively small historiography on the administration of justice in Georgian Wales, highlighting the ways in which patterns of indictments, convictions and executions were both similar and, crucially, different to those found in England during the period. After introducing the superior courts in the Principality during this period—the Wales Courts of Great Sessions - the article discusses the patterns of indictments, convictions and executions in the Great Sessions. The article then concludes by suggesting avenues of further research in the area.