New Manchester Civil Justice Centre opens  

The Civil Justice Centre, the second biggest court in the country after the Royal Courts of Justice in London, will create a new home for Manchester County Court and is set to become a flagship centre for civil proceedings in Manchester and the North West.

There are also future hopes for the new CJC to provide a venue for the devolution of the Administrative Court to Manchester which would considerably improve access to justice for clients outside of London.

The striking 16-storey building, designed by Australian architects Denton Corker Marshall, has many of its 47 court rooms, tribunal rooms and hearing rooms housed in glass `cantilever fingers' projecting up to 15 metres from the building's columns which have earned it the nickname `the filing cabinet'.

Andrew Byles is the first member of Garden Court North Chambers to have a case listed in one of the new CJC courtrooms; he appeared in a housing case on Thursday 25th October 2007 and said of the new court "It's spacious, a vast improvement in terms of facilities and conference rooms, but allow a few extra minutes to get through security".

Map / Directions / Contact details for Manchester Civil Justice Centre

see: HM Court Service information page for Manchester Civil Justice Centre (select "Manchester County Court" from the drop down list)

Quick links

> 22/4/09 - Administrative Court Opens in Manchester

> Garden Court North Chambers public law team and notable GCN public law cases

> Garden Court North is recommended for public law in Chambers & Partners 2009 - the leading UK guide to the legal profession: "Garden Court North is still the pre-eminent public law set in the North, drawing plaudits for its expertise across immigration, housing and prison law." (Chambers & Partners 2009) > more

> 16/10/2007 - Inside the Civil Justice Centre [includes video footage] - (Manchester Evening News)