Belfast’s high-tech courthouse opens for business

After three years in the making Belfast’s new £30 million court complex officially opened this week with the notable absence of the Royal coat of arms from its court rooms.

With legislation currently passing through Westminster to ban the Royal coats of arms within the court area, the royal insignia was notably absent from the 16 courtrooms but however will still appear on the outside of the building.

The new complex at the heart of Belfast’s legal quarter, Laganside Courts, was built under the Government’s Public and Private Partnership initiative (PPP), and has the ability now to conduct Crown Court, County Court and Magistrate’s Court business at the same venue.

The state of the art modern court facilities will provide for the needs of the Justice System, predicted by the Northern Ireland Court Service, to last well into the Millennium.

The complex also provides for the provision of witness rooms on all four levels. These rooms offer special accommodation for victims of crime, witnesses in fear and children to give their evidence by remote video links. The technology employed throughout the building by IT contractor ICL, also means video conferencing can take place with witnesses testifying from anywhere in the province.

Belfast Magistrate’s Court will be demolished over the next six months to make way for a prison vehicle dock and court officials’ car park at Laganside.

Magistrates’ family business, coroner’s court and youth court proceedings will move to the Old Town Hall building in Victoria Street. (AMcE)