Central Criminal Court of England and Wales (The Old Bailey) Reviews

The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey from the street on which it stands, is a court in London and one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court. Part of the present building stands on the site of the medieval Newgate gaol, on a road named Old Bailey that follows the line of the City of London's fortified wall (or bailey), which runs from Ludgate Hill to the junction of Newgate Street and Holborn Viaduct. The Old Bailey has been housed in several structures near this location since the sixteenth century, and its present building dates from 1902.

The Crown Court sitting at the Central Criminal Court deals with major criminal cases from within Greater London and in exceptional cases, from other parts of England and Wales. Trials at the Old Bailey, as at other courts, are open to the public; however, they are subject to stringent security procedures.
History

Newgate gaol in 1810. For much of its history, the "Old Baily" court was attached to the gaol.

An Old Bailey trial, circa 1808.
The court originated as the sessions house of the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of the City of London and of Middlesex. The original medieval court was first mentioned in 1585; it was next to the older Newgate gaol, and seems to have grown out of the endowment to improve the gaol and rooms for the Sheriffs, made possible by a gift from Richard Whittington. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and rebuilt in 1674, with the court open to the weather to prevent the spread of disease.

Plaque commemorating Bushel's Case of 1670
In 1734 it was refronted, enclosing the court and reducing the influence of spectators: this led to outbreaks of typhus, notably in 1750 when 60 people died, including the Lord Mayor and two judges. It was rebuilt again in 1774 and a second courtroom was added in 1824. Over 100,000 criminal trials were carried out at the Old Bailey between 1674 and 1834.[1]

In 1834, it was renamed as the Central Criminal Court and its jurisdiction extended beyond that of London and Middlesex to the whole of the English jurisdiction for trials of major cases. Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service manages the courts and administers the trials but the building itself is owned by the City of London Corporation, which finances the building, the running of it, the staff and the maintenance out of their own resources.[2]

The court was originally intended as the site where only criminals accused of crimes committed in the City and Middlesex were tried. However, in 1856, there was public revulsion at the accusations against the doctor William Palmer that he was a poisoner and murderer. This led to fears that he could not receive a fair trial in his native Staffordshire. The Central Criminal Court Act 1856 was passed to enable his trial to be held at the Old Bailey.

In the 19th century, the Old Bailey was a courtroom adjacent to Newgate gaol. Hangings were a public spectacle in the street outside until May 1868. The condemned would be led along Dead Man's Walk between the prison and the court, and many were buried in the walk itself. Large, riotous crowds would gather and pelt the condemned with rotten fruit and vegetables and stones.[2] In 1807, 28 people were crushed to death after a pie-seller's stall overturned. A secret tunnel was subsequently created between the prison and St Sepulchre's church opposite, to allow the chaplain to minister to the condemned man without having to force his way through the crowds

If you want to watch a case get there before 10:00. You get to hear some great cases

Another impressive building that everyone must see. Worth going round the building, other sides are not less beautiful.

"Oranges and lemons" say the Bells of St. Clement's
"You owe me five farthings" say the Bells of St. Martin's
"When will you pay me?" say the Bells of Old Bailey
"When I grow rich" say the Bells of Shoreditch
"When will that be?" say the Bells of Stepney
"I do not know" say the Great Bells of Bow
Here comes a Candle to light you to Bed
Here comes a Chopper to Chop off your Head
Chip chop chip chop - the Last Man's Dead

Such a beautiful building! Can see alot of history! Cases open to the public from 10am.

You can really feel the history here... Worth a look.

I agree problem now is that Grayling is decimating legal services & like Bow Street (the oldest police station in the world) it'll be sold off & converted into flats

Beautiful historic building. You can actually enter a court hearing too!

Head in the morning and try to find space in a gallery in an interesting trial. It's nail buying stuff often and you'll want to return the following day to hear what else you have to be said! Highly recommended if only to see our justice system in action. Need to spend at least 30mins in the gallery

Translated
Drive in the morning and try to find space in a gallery in an interesting trial. It's a nail buy many times and you'll want to come back the next day to find out what else you have to say! Highly recommended if only to see our justice system in action. You need to spend at least 30 minutes in the gallery

I did jury service once. I didn't enjoy the experience .

Professional, beautiful building, if serving please keep in mind this is a major court and most cases are 2wks plus.

Still handing out the "suspended" and "concurrent" and 20 year "Life Sentences" and here, "22 Life Sentences" can total just 23 years....

Central Crimnal Court building is one of the good old building to view.

Jury service can be fun, if you don't mind the commute and the amount of waiting around you have to do.

I was witness and all them treated me very kindly. People was working as volunteers giving all attention.
Even the judge and barristers made all for I feel comfortable.
Besides, the place is so beautiful.

Nice to see the central criminal court of England and Wales, one of the crown courts of the country. I didn't actually go inside as the court doesn't operate at weekends and I was only passing by. Fascinating to see were so many important cases of the country is help. The statue of Lady Justice atop the building is such a symbol of our justice system, it makes a real difference to see it in person.

Head in the morning and try to find space in a gallery in an interesting trial. It's nail buying stuff often and you'll want to return the following day to hear what else has to be said! Highly recommended if only to see our justice system in action. Need to spend at least 30mins in the gallery

The most prolific and amazing criminal Court in England and quite possibly the entire world . it has a huge and diverse history of prosecutions and defences of the most notorious and prolific criminals in the UK

I spent almost 3 weeks on jury service at the Old Bailey, London and I'd give it two thumbs up!
See history in action and learn about the legal system in this totally interactive experience, which after almost 500 years of being in business must surely must rank as one on London's top attractions!
Spend days in a fully immersive courtroom environment, where you can enjoy spellbinding performances from judges, barristers and witnesses alike.
Make new friends during the climactic 'deliberation,' in which you must sit in a room with random strangers deciding the fate of another human's life.
Be part of real time intense drama as you deliver your verdict! (but watch out, some disgruntled family members of the accused might direct their fury at you from the public gallery...)
There's many fantastic days out, friends to be made and an altogether unforgettable experience at the Old Bailey, London.

NB this activity might not be suitable for younger children as some of the details of the murder cases do get into rather gruesome detail :)

Beautiful victorian building which is like some sumptuous art gallery within with statues and marble. The gallery is an interesting thing to do to see justice metered out. You need to get there early and leave your phone and cameras at home as they are not permitted. Also a very interesting experience to do jury service here!
In close proximity to St Paul's Cathedral, St Sepulchre's Church, London's first drinking fountain, Temple Church, Barbican, Museum of London, Bart's Pathology Museum, The Golden Boy of Pye Corner, The River Thames, The Millennium Bridge, The Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, etc.
Nearest stations are St Paul's, Barbican, Blackfriars, Mansion House, Temple, and City Thameslink.

I've done jury service twice at the Old Bailey. It was an interesting experience.

The biggest data operation in the UK is to put the huge records this place has on the court proceedings it has witnessed in its various incarnations. Even back in the day when Newgate was the prison that stood on this site (1188 - 1901), there were Sessions here which later became proper criminal hearings.
As the Old Bailey, as it has been nicknamed, it has heard some of the most infamous criminal cases, Crippen, Sutcliffe etc...it is though, also a truly magnificent building. Looks glorious in the summer.

I did not make it inside but was glad to have strolled by.

Wasn't a very nice place in my experience. Felt that the judge had it in for me and don't get me started on the prosecution. Came here hoping for a nice short visit but ended up being dragged back daily for 2 weeks. Hoping things have changed in 13 years but not holding my breath.

Its so historic and educational. Definitely thumbs up from me, it's a must see if you live in London :)