Punishment
The court was expressly limited to two forms of punishment. These were death, in capital cases, or flogging, in non-capital cases. Fines or imprisonment were not an option as there were no local gaols nor would prisoners have the money to pay a fine in the early days of the settlement. However, Phillip frequently sent prisoners for punishment to the islands in Sydney Harbour, and then subsequently to Norfolk Island when that penal colony was established. The Governor's warrant was a necessary preliminary to an execution; but he was empowered by his commission to grant a pardon in any case which was not treason or murder. He could also reprieve a prisoner until final instructions were received from England.
Read more about this topic: Court Of Criminal Jurisdiction
Famous quotes containing the word punishment:
“My object all sublime I shall achieve in time—
To let the punishment fit the crime— The punishment fit the crime; And make each prisoner pent Unwillingly represent
A source of innocent merriment! Of innocent merriment!”
—Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836–1911)
“If we could do away with death, we wouldn’t object; to do away with capital punishment will be more difficult. Were that to happen, we would reinstate it from time to time.”
—Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749–1832)
“What children learn from punishment is that might makes right. When they are old and strong enough, they will try to get their own back; thus many children punish their parents by acting in ways distressing to them.”
—Bruno Bettelheim (20th century)