Criminal justice was different.
Frederick Sargent/Wikimedia Commons
Frederick Sargent/Wikimedia Commons
While many aspects of the Victorian judicial system — including courts, lawyers, and police forces — are still present in the 21st century, their methods were significantly different.
Capital punishment was still commonplace in England for serious offenses, while lesser crimes might result in the unconventional punishment of banishment to a far-away British colony. Overcrowded prisons led to the establishment of “prison ships” along the River Thames — derelict ships that were packed with prisoners.