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Battling the Bench

In: Unfree Workers

Author

Listed:
  • Hamish Maxwell-Stewart

    (University of New England)

  • Michael Quinlan

    (UNSW Sydney)

Abstract

Convict worker resistance is only comprehensible in the context of an oppressive regulatory regime whose severity was exacerbated by the operation of magistrates’ courts. The way in which conviction history was used to disempower convicts formed an important part of this process. Thus, while convicts had a ‘right’ to bring a complaint to a magistrate, such attempts often triggered counter charges. The chapter also explores the distribution of prosecutions. Convicts who lacked skills that were in colonial demand were more likely to be punished than others. Punishment rates also changed over time, reflecting labour market conditions. The chapter ends by exploring the impact of labour exploitation on convict lives.

Suggested Citation

  • Hamish Maxwell-Stewart & Michael Quinlan, 2022. "Battling the Bench," Palgrave Studies in Economic History, in: Unfree Workers, chapter 0, pages 85-109, Palgrave Macmillan.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palscp:978-981-16-7558-4_4
    DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-7558-4_4
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