Robert Peel: Case Study (Edexcel GCSE History)

Robert Peel: Case Study - Timeline

Robert Peel: Case Study - Summary

19th-century Britain saw rising crime rates. Both the public and government became increasingly concerned. Through his roles in government, Robert Peel responded to these concerns. He made important changes to punishment and law enforcement.

Peel emphasised reform over harsh punishment. He believed that criminals should be instilled with Christian values. That way, they would eventually become rehabilitated. His penal reform therefore ended the ‘Bloody Code’.

Peel also had a more humanitarian approach to prisoners. His efforts to bring in the 1823 Gaols Act led to improved prison conditions.

Peel also persuaded Parliament to pass the Metropolitan Police Act. This ultimately led to the creation of more police forces. Because of Peel’s role in creating the Met, he is known as the father of modern British policing.

Who was Robert Peel?

• Sir Robert Peel was a 19th-century politician

  • He was initially home secretary (for two separate terms)

  • He later became prime minister (also for two separate terms)

• Peel took many actions to achieve his aims of reducing crime and reforming the penal code

Robert Peel and the Reform of the Penal Code

• The expansion of the ‘Bloody Code’ led to an unprecedented number of capital offences

• It meant that the death penalty could legally be used for minor crimes

• In practice, judges rarely sentenced petty criminals to death:

  • They thought it was unfair

  • They preferred alternative punishments, especially

    • Transportation 

    • Imprisonment

• The penal code made little sense, Peel reformed it

  • He reduced the number of capital offences by 100

  • This is because he wanted petty criminals to be

    • Punished in proportion to their crimes

    • Reformed, so that they were less likely to reoffend

The 1823 Gaols Act and Prison Reform

• Reformers like Elizabeth Fry influenced Peel to campaign for better prison conditions

• He therefore persuaded Parliament to pass the 1823 Gaols Act

What were the key requirements of the 1823 Gaols Act?

• The Act’s impact was limited because

  • There were no inspectors to enforce it

  • It only applied to 130 of the biggest prisons

  • Small prisons ignored it altogether

The Creation of the Metropolitan Police, 1829

Peel’s recommendations for a police force

• Peel wanted an ethical police force

• His Peelian principles still provide the foundation for modern policing in Britain today:

  • Centralisation of policing standards across London:

    • An impartial and objective approach

    • Lawful behaviour

    • A positive relationship and cooperation with the public

    • To only use physical force as a last resort

  • Differentiation from the army

    • Non-military uniform

    • No firearms

Opposition to a police force

• Many were opposed to Peel’s idea of a centralised police force

• The table below highlights the political and economic reasons for this opposition

The 1829 Metropolitan Police Act

• Despite opposition, the government passed the Metropolitan Police Act

• The Met was initially made up of

  • two commissioners 

  • 3,200 full-time, carefully selected, well-trained, paid men policing central London

Criticisms and issues

• In its early days, many people criticised the Met:

  • They doubted that the police force would achieve its aim of deterring crime

  • They used derogatory nicknames for officers:

    • ‘Raw lobsters’ (due to their blue coats) 

    • ‘Crushers’ (because they were seen to be interfering with liberty)

  • They still feared that the police would become like the army

    • This was made worse by the fact that many new Constables were ex-soldiers

  • They thought that officers were spying on the general public

    • This belief became more widespread when plain clothes officers first appeared

• The Met also had other issues:

  • Many officers had major drinking problems

    • This accounted for 80% of dismissals

  • Retention was poor

    • Out of 2,800 Constables in 1830, only 562 remained in 1834

Success

• Despite a difficult start, the Met eventually became successful

  • It focused on patrolling areas with high crime

    • This contributed to steadily falling crime rates between 1850 and 1900

  • The public came to recognise that officers were honest and trustworthy

    • By the 1850s, they began to refer to officers as 'Peelers'