COURTS AND TRIBUNALS SECTION
6.1
Research and Reading room services
Although the pandemic crises of the Covid-19 had significant impact on all services, the Courts and Tribunals Section has registered a significant increase of volumes and items consulted. During 2020, 213 researchers visited the section at the Mdina Banca Giuratale consulting 3622 items and spending around 686 hours of research mainly during February, March (before the virus hit the Island), and in June and July when life almost returned back to normality. The most requested documents were the Concorsi, Libelli and Deroghe, and the Processi Appelli Civili files. It is worth noting that the volumes of the Officium Commissarior Domorum and Officium Causarum Delegator et Domorum attracted the interest of scholars and researchers. However, the number of researchers and hours of research decreased by 20% and 36% when compared to the previous year. Research at all premises of the National Archives was held by appointment. During February and March 2020, 18 students reading for a Masters in Notarial Studies under the supervision of Dr Joan Abela, achieved 30 hours hands-on practical experience on the volumes of the Atti di Accusa and the Sentenze belonging to the fond of the Criminal Court. The post-graduate students analysed all the acts for the years post-Criminal Code between 1854 and the early 1870s and compiled a chronological detailed list of all cases including case number, year, the names involved, nicknames, father’s name, nationality, residence, occupation, detail of the crime committed, sentence given and its date. This data will soon be available on the Archives catalogue platform for consultation.
Mario Camilleri
Annual Report 2020
51
6 COURTS AND TRIBUNALS SECTION
6
