Redditch Magistrates' Court has opened a new Crown Court room in order to increase case capacity.
Victims and communities across Worcestershire will benefit from quicker access to justice as a new Crown Court room officially opened yesterday (Tuesday 21 January 2025) at Redditch Magistrates' Court, marking a significant boost to the town's justice services.
The Crown Court development, which includes the conversion of the existing 25-year-old Magistrates' Court building into a joint magistrates' and Crown Court facility, represents a major investment in the region's justice infrastructure. In order to manage trials involving defendants appearing from prison custody, the new room makes use of existing cells beneath the building.
The present magistrates' court and police station were built in 1978, as part of the regeneration and New Town project. The expansion of this new Crown courtroom facility will increase the court's capacity to hear the most serious criminal cases and improve access to justice for local communities across Worcestershire and the wider Midlands region.
Since August 2024, the opening of this new Crown Court has enabled 25 multi-day and multi-week trials to be heard in Redditch. Without the additional room, these would likely have been adjourned due to lack of court time in Worcester Crown Court.
Minister for Courts and Legal Services, Sarah Sackman KC MP, said:
I welcome the opening of this new Crown courtroom facility, which will ensure local communities have quicker access to justice. This development will provide an essential boost to our court infrastructure in Worcestershire and beyond.
The Lady Chief Justice attended the official opening event, marking the first stop on the Midlands leg of her 2025 circuit tour. Mrs Justice Amanda Tipples, Presiding Judge for the Midlands Circuit, also attended the ceremony.
This is one of two new Crown courtrooms being introduced across the region, with another courtroom to be opened at Hereford Justice Centre this year. The development is part of ongoing work to strengthen the justice system's ability to process cases efficiently.
Jury trials have not been held in the Hereford area since June 2020, when the roof was damaged in a courtroom at the grade II listed 19th century building in St Peter's Square. COVID-19 restrictions created further backlogs of trials awaiting dates. Crown court trials have been held in Worcester since, with some Crown court sentencing hearings taking place at Hereford's magistrates court in Bath Street. The Crown courtroom in Hereford is on track to officially open later this year.
Notes:
The building will continue to serve as both a Magistrates' Court and Crown Court, as well as hearing family and civil cases.
Ahead of yesterday's official opening, the Crown Court has been hearing cases since July 2024.
