In brief
The biggest civil court to be built for more than a century in England or Wales opened its doors this week. The 14-floor Manchester Civil Justice Centre built in Manchester’s business area was designed by Australian architects Denton Corker Marshall following an international design competition. The centre will hear High Court cases and be home to the Manchester District Registry and County Court; Manchester City Magistrates’ Family Courts; the District Probate Registry; the mediation officer; and the Regional and Area Offices. It has: 47 court or hearing rooms; 76 consultation rooms; seven conference rooms; six suites for vulnerable witnesses; video link facilities; a purpose built suite for mediation and offices for the Manchester Advisory and Information Service.
