- Families invited behind the scenes of local Combined Court
- Open day to give rare and unique insight into how justice is done
- Public to visit historic court cells and jury rooms and watch a mock trial
Families will get to try on judges' gowns, hear how they prepare for cases, meet police wellbeing dogs and even tour the cells at Lewes Combined Court this coming Saturday 14 September 2024.
The Grade II listed building, carved from Portland stone in 1812, is opening its doors to show how the court serves the community and delivers justice.
Visitors will be invited into the historic court building to explore cells, relive criminal trials, and take a behind-the-scenes look at how justice is done with the dedicated, hard-working staff on ground.
Court hearings have taken place in the city as far back as the 12th century. In one notable episode, 17 Protestant martyrs were burned at the stake in Lewes as part of Marian persecutions between 1550 and 1557, with varying observations of habeus corpus. In 1557, of the ten who were apprehended by the Crown, only two were given trial. The others were arrested mere days before they were publicly executed.
In more contemporary legal history, the gruesome "acid bath murderer" John Haigh was executed in 1949 following his conviction at Lewes for the murders of six people and disposing their remains in drums of sulphuric acid. Highlighting the magnitude of the trial, David Maxwell Fyfe and Hartley Shawcross acted as defense and prosecution counsels, both of whom led the prosecution case of Nazi war criminals at the Nuremburg trials, with Maxwell Fyfe going on to become Lord Chancellor.
Justice Minister Heidi Alexander said:
Our courts, HMCTS teams and all those who work alongside them play a vital role at the heart of our justice system, serving communities and upholding the law.
This open day in Lewes is a rare opportunity to meet the hard-working people who work day in day out to deliver justice and protect the public, and to gain a fascinating behind-the-scenes look into the workings of our historic courts estate.
The building still hears criminal cases from across East Sussex and the surrounding area today and the open day will offer a unique hands-on opportunity to take in its courtrooms and cells. Visitors can also watch a mock trial and sentencing to understand how the court continues to deliver justice.
Judges, magistrates' and court staff will be on hand to answer questions, and families can speak to Probation Service and Crown Prosecution Service teams about how they each play a vital role right across the modern-day justice system.
Visitors also have the opportunity to enjoy interactive sessions with police wellbeing dogs Harley and Bear who, along with being very good boys, attend major incidents to support those affected by trauma.
