The Victoria Law Courts were built in 1887-91 and designed by Aston Webb and Ingress Bell. They are a late Victorian public building of national importance. Red brick and terracotta outside, they are faced in sandy-yellow terracotta inside. The spectacular terracotta building was part of a programme of making Birmingham consciously into a great city, and city status was obtained in 1889 while the courts were being built. The Great Hall inside has large windows at each end with local worthies (from Shakespeare to Matthew Boulton) at one end and Birmingham trades at the other.

Tickets for the Law Courts are by ballot only. Information on how the ballot works here

The Law Courts are surrounded by scaffolding, and the tour will focus on the inside of the building. You will visit the Great Hall and public corridors. The courts will be sitting and access to the one remaining heritage court room cannot be guaranteed, but if court sessions have finished for the day, the tour will include a court room. 

When entering the building there will be a strict security check, this includes walking through an archway detector and being checked by hand with a handheld scanner. This security check is likely to take some time.  There are strict rules on what you can and cannot take inside the court building. Phones and cameras are allowed to be taken in, but photos or videos are strictly forbidden. 

More information on rules for entering the Victoria Law Courts here

The tour will start at 3pm outside the main entrance of the Victoria Law Courts on Corporation Street. 

Organised by Birmingham Civic Society