Editing Proctor (section)

=====Disciplinary functions=====
The proctors' powers as to discipline have a very long history. As far as concerns members of the university they have authority to impose certain fines for minor offences, such as not wearing academic dress on occasions when it is ordered, and also to order a student not to be out of their college after a certain hour for a certain number of days ("gating"). For more serious offences, the proctor generally reports the matter to the authorities of the offender's college to be dealt with by them, or as a last resort brings the offender before the university court of discipline, which has power to [[Rustication (academia)|rusticate]] or send down (expel). 

The power of the proctors over persons who are not members of the university dates from charters granted by [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]] and [[James I of England|James I]], which empowered the university authorities to search for undesirable characters, men and women, rogues, vagabonds, and other ''personas de male suspectas'' (persons suspected of evil), and punish them by imprisonment or banishment. In recent times this power was often exercised with respect to prostitutes. The proctors promenaded the streets attended by their servants who are always sworn in as special constables. These constables, colloquially known as "Bulldogs", are now members of [[Cambridge University Constabulary]]: they retain full police powers of arrest within 5 miles (8&nbsp;km) of [[Church of St Mary the Great, Cambridge|Great St Mary's Church]], deemed to be the centre of the university (proctors no longer have the power of arrest). 

If occasion arose, the proctors and their constables could arrest a suspected woman and have her taken to the [[Spinning House]] (for which [[Thomas Hobson (postal carrier)|Thomas Hobson]] the carrier had left an endowment). The next day, the woman would be brought before the [[List of Vice-Chancellors of the University of Cambridge|vice-chancellor]], who had power to commit her to the Spinning House; as a general rule the sentence was for no longer than three weeks. For this purpose the Vice-Chancellor sat ''[[in camera]]'' and the jurisdiction had nothing to do with that of the vice-chancellor's court.{{clarify|date=June 2016}} In 1898, attention was called to this procedure by the case of a girl named Daisy Hopkins, who was arrested and committed to the Spinning House. Application was made on her behalf to the [[Queen's Bench Division]] for a writ of ''[[habeas corpus]]'', and when the application came on it appeared that there had been a technical irregularity (the prisoner not having been formally charged when brought before the Vice-Chancellor); so the writ was granted and the prisoner released. She afterwards brought an action against the proctor, which failed. It was then decided to abolish the practice of hearing these cases ''in camera''. The whole practice was, however, objected to by the authorities of the town, and after a conference an agreement was reached: the proctorial jurisdiction over persons not members of the university was abolished (1904).<ref name=EB1911/>

Today, the Junior Proctor retains special responsibility for university societies and for resolving disputes arising from the [[Cambridge Students' Union]]. The Special Pro-Proctor for Motor Vehicles is responsible for licensing the keeping and using of motor vehicles (other than mopeds) within {{convert|10|mi|km}} of Great St Mary's Church by University students who have not yet reached MA status and are in residence in term or in the Long Vacation period of residence. The Motor Proctor also has the power to impose a fine of up to £175 on students breaching the regulations on the keeping and using of motor vehicles.