The Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

is the home of the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland established under the Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978. This comprises the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal, High Court of Northern Ireland and the Crown Court in Northern Ireland. This building in Chichester Street was built between 1928 and 1933 by James Grey West

James Grey West

Sir James Grey West OBE was a British architect. Born and trained in Cardiff, Wales, West joined the government Office of Works in 1904, eventually succeeding Sir Richard Allison as chief architect in 1934....

 and is a local landmark. The building was opened in 1933 by the Governor of Northern Ireland

Governor of Northern Ireland

The Governor of Northern Ireland was the principal officer and representative in Northern Ireland of the British monarch. The office was established on 9 December 1922 and abolished on 18 July 1973.-Overview:...

, Duke of Abercorn

James Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn

James Albert Edward Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn KG, KP, PC , styled Marquess of Hamilton between 1885 and 1913, was a British peer and Unionist politician. He was the first Governor of Northern Ireland, a post he held between 1922 and 1945...

. The architect was Sir Richard Allison

Richard Allison (architect)

Sir Richard John Allison was a Scottish architect. From 1889 he was associated with the government Office of Works in London, and from 1914 was its Chief Architect.-Selected works:* The Science Museum, London...

. It suffered from bomb damage in 1990 but has since been restored.

The Royal Courts of Justice was the target of one of the highest value private finance initiative

Private Finance Initiative

The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...

s in Northern Ireland amounting to £30 million.

External links

• Royal Courts of Justice Customer Information, Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service