Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Robert Peel: Case Study (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Robert Peel: Case Study - Timeline & 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 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?
Key requirement | How was this key requirement achieved? |
|---|---|
More humane treatment | Prisoners were not to be put in chains |
Religious instruction | Prisoners had to attend chapel |
Inspections and visits | Magistrates had to check the conditions of prisons in their area Doctors had to regularly visit prisoners |
Healthier conditions | Prisons had to have a supply of fresh water and a drainage system Prisoners were to be given proper food |
Separation | Hardened criminals and young offenders had to be separated Male and female prisoners were to be separated Female warders were to guard female prisoners |
Payment | Warders were to be paid for their work Prisoners would no longer pay fees |
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
Political | Economic |
|---|---|
People worried that a state police force would create a police state, endangering people’s liberty. They were also concerned that the police would be a military-style presence on the streets, used by the government to force people to do whatever they wanted. Repressive police forces already existed in other European countries, including France | The government had already raised taxes to invest in prison building, so many resented the idea that they would have to pay even more tax to fund the police |
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'
Worked Example
Describe one feature of Robert Peel's penal reform
2 marks
Answers:
Robert Peel reformed the penal code by reducing the number of capital offences. (1) This gave minor offenders a chance to reform (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Remember that penal reform refers to improvements made to a country’s official system of punishment. In Peel’s case, this could include his reductions to the number of capital offences as well as his contributions to prison reform.
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