UK Law Society Gazette
The largest dedicated tribunal centre in the country is finally set to open at the end of this month – more than two years behind schedule.
The first in-person hearings at the London building will cover employment tribunals and begin in March, the Ministry of Justice said. The new building, in Newgate Street next to the Central Criminal Court has 30 hearing rooms, dealing a range of cases including employment, social security and child support disputes, and 40 judicial chambers.
The building is fully wheelchair-accessible with space described as ‘flexible’ to accommodate different room layouts ‘helping to maximise the number of hearings that can take place’. The hearing rooms have also been designed to be ‘greener and more efficient’, the MoJ said.
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) announced it had purchased the seven-storey building in 2022, for a reported £111m plus VAT. In its announcement at the time, HMCTS said the building, following a redevelopment, would be operational with tribunals heard there by the end of 2023.
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