Brighton Law Courts
| Brighton Law Courts | |
|---|---|
 Brighton Law Courts | |
| Location | Edward Street, Brighton |
| Coordinates | 50°49′23″N 0°08′04″W / 50.8231°N 0.1344°W |
| Built | 1967 |
| Architect | Percy Billington |
| Architectural style(s) | Brutalist style |
  Shown in East Sussex | |
Brighton Law Courts is a Crown Court venue, which deals with criminal cases, and a Magistrates' court venue in Edward Street, Brighton, England.
History
Until the mid-1960s, the assizes and quarter sessions in Brighton were held in Brighton Town Hall.[1] However, as the number of criminal cases in the Brighton area grew, it became necessary to commission a more modern courthouse. The site selected by the Lord Chancellor's Department, on the north side of Edward Street, had accommodated a series of rows of terraced housing (William Street, Henry Street and John Street) before the area was cleared.[2]
The new building was designed by the borough architect, Percy Billington, in the Brutalist style, built in concrete and glass and was officially opened by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Gardiner on 3 November 1967.[1] The design involved a broadly symmetrical main frontage of ten bays facing onto Edward Street. The central section of eight bays featured a flight of steps leading up to an entrance slightly to the right of centre. The entrance was covered by a canopy supported by steel columns. Above the entrance was a concrete panel to which a Royal coat of arms was fixed. The other bays in the central section were fenestrated by large glass panels on the lower two floors and the second floor was fenestrated by a row of small square casement windows. The end bays were projected forward and completely faced in concrete panels. Internally, the building was laid out to accommodate two courts for the quarter sessions, two courts for the magistrates, and one court for the coroner.[3] Following implementation of the Courts Act 1971, the two courts for the quarter sessions were made available for hearings of the crown court.[4]
After an extensive refurbishment of the building, during which the magistrates were accommodated at the former parochial offices in Princes Street, the building was formally re-opened by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Lane, on 27 April 1989.[1]
References
- ^ a b c "Court venues, 1808 until the present". My Brighton and Hove. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ "Ordnance Survey Map". 1914. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ Law Guardian. Vol. 22–43. Law Guardian Publishing Company. 1967. p. 39. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ D'Enno, Douglas (2007). Brighton Crime and Vice, 1800–2000. Wharncliffe. p. 42. ISBN 978-1845630300.