Sascha Auerbach is a Lecturer in Modern British and Colonial History at the University of Nottingham. A former Fulbright Scholar, he is the author of Race, Law and 'The Chinese Puzzle' in Imperial Britain (2009).

Introduction: Courtroom Culture; 1. 'Many-Coloured Scenes of Life': The Police Courts in Metropolitan Culture and Society, 1758¿1860; 2. 'A Ruffian Rightly Punished': Morality and Local Courtrooms in Practice and Portrayal, 1860¿1880; 3. 'An Evil Quarter of an Hour About the Precincts': Urban Reform and Municipal Authority in the Courtroom, 1870¿1902; 4. 'Two Shillings' Worth of Revenge in the Form of a Summons': The Integration of Courtrooms and Communities in London, 1882¿1902; 5. A Poor Woman's Court of Justice, 1882¿1910; 6. 'The Very Centre of Observation and Information': Constables, Magistrates, and Changing Patterns of Prosecution and Punishment, 1880¿1913; Conclusion: The Historical and Cultural Legacies of the London Magistrates Courts.