Plans approved for City of London law courts and police HQ

Plans by the City of London Corporation for a new 18-courtroom facility, which will include a headquarters for the City of London Police have been given the green light.

Located on Salisbury Square, off Fleet Street, and designed by Eric Parry Architects, the project, dubbed London’s new “Justice Quarter”, will deliver modern facilities to meet contemporary litigation and law enforcement requirements.

It is designed to last for at least 125 years and will help to re-establish and reinvigorate this part of the Square Mile, famous as the former home of the newspaper industry. Upon completion, it is expected that it will support 2,500 jobs, of which 400 will be newly created across a range of sectors.

The new City of London Law Courts will be the flagship for Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service and the Ministry of Justice, containing Crown, Magistrates, County and Civil Courts all in a single building.

The building will provide significantly improved facilities and will be equipped to deliver justice in the modern age, with a focus on economic crime and fraud.

Policy Chair at the City of London Corporation, Catherine McGuinness, said: “As a lawyer myself, I know first-hand that the Square Mile is home to a unique cluster of legal expertise and services. Maintaining this position as a world-leading judicial centre is essential as we drive our economic recovery forward and build back better from the pandemic.

“The Salisbury Square development will create a new civic hub, housing a state-of-the-art court and a new City of London Police headquarters. This project will reinforce the Square Mile’s reputation as a place to do business by ensuring we are able to adapt to the changing demands placed on the justice system.

“It will also create new public spaces and have a transformative impact on Fleet Street, really enhancing one of the City’s most well-known thoroughfares and making it a more exciting place for people to explore.”