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A political history of Britain in the places where it happened: parliament and palace, courts and counting houses, and the streets where people pushed back.
The Central Criminal Court, built over the prison that supplied it.
Law & justiceFree to enter
For centuries Newgate Prison and the court beside it were one machine: prisoners were tried at the Old Bailey, walked back to Newgate and - until executions moved inside the prison walls in 1868 - hanged in front of enormous crowds in the street outside. The prison came down in 1902 and the present court was built over its site, opening in 1907 under the gilded figure of Justice that everyone knows and few have seen close to. It is not a museum. Serious criminal trials are heard here every working day, and the free public galleries put Edwardian ceremony and living procedure in the same room.
The public galleries are free and first-come. Since 1 June 2026 they have required official photographic identification, there is no admission under 14, and no phones or bags of any size are allowed in the building.
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Data is compiled from public sources including OpenStreetMap, under the ODbL. Hours change often, so check before making a journey.