City of Westminster Magistrates' Court

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City of Westminster Magistrates' Court, facing south down Horseferry Road

The City of Westminster Magistrates' Court is a Magistrates' Court in Central London. It was originally called Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court, after Horseferry Road where it is sited,^[1] but was renamed in July 2006 when Bow Street Magistrates' Court closed. Since then it has become the court where the Chief Magistrate of England and Wales sits, and all extradition and terrorism-related cases pass through the court.

[edit] History

The court building, designed by C. A. Legerton and opened in 1974, is functional and "of minimal personality and minimal expression of function and purpose", according to Pevsner. It was opened as one of a series of three larger court houses, with the others at Camberwell Green and Highbury Corner. It had four courtrooms as opened and a further four have since been added.^[2] The central location and proximity to New Scotland Yard has caused the court to be involved in a number of high profile cases.^[2]

[edit] Future

It is planned that the court will move to a new building on the former site of Marylebone Road Magistrates' Court in 2010.^[3]

[edit] References

Coordinates: 51°29′42″N 0°07′43″W / 51.49500°N 0.12872°W / 51.49500; -0.12872