Old Bailey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Central Criminal Court, commonly known as The Old Bailey (a bailey being part of a castle), is a Crown Court (criminal high court) in London, dealing with major criminal cases in the UK. It stands on the site of the mediaeval Newgate Gaol, in the street also called Old Bailey which is situated between Holborn circus and St Paul's Cathedral. The present building dates from 1907 and was designed by E.W. Mountford. Above the main entrance is inscribed, "Defend the Children of the Poor & Punish the Wrongdoer". Any judge whilst sitting in the Old Bailey is entitled to be addressed as "My Lord" or "My Lady"—even if when sitting elsewhere in the country they would normally be addressed by a lesser style (e.g. Your Honour).
From 1970 to 1972 a new South Block was built containing more modern courts.
The Old Bailey is where Sir John Mortimer practised as a barrister. His courtroom experiences led him to create the fictional character Horace Rumpole, alias Rumpole of the Bailey.
While The Old Bailey (being a criminal court) is open to the public to view trials, no form of electronic equipment, including mobile phones, can be brought in by the public.
See also
- Courts of the United Kingdom
- Royal Courts of Justice
- Bow Street Magistrates' Court
- Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court
External links
- The Proceedings of the Old Bailey London 1674 to 1834 - Archive of case details
- Central Criminal Court from the architectural heritage section of the City of London website