Inverness Justice Centre is a sheriff court and Justice of the Peace Court venue in Longman Road, Inverness, Scotland. It also includes the offices of the Procurator Fiscal.
| Inverness Justice Centre | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Inverness Justice Centre | |
| Location | Longman Road, Inverness |
| Coordinates | 57°29′04″N 4°13′23″W / 57.4844°N 4.2231°W |
| Built | 2020 |
| Architect | Reiach and Hall Architects |
| Architectural style(s) | Moderist style |
  Shown in Inverness-shire | |
History
editUntil 2020, all sheriff court hearings took place at Inverness Castle.[1][2] However, as the number of court cases in Inverness grew, it became necessary to commission a modern courthouse for criminal matters. The site selected by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service had previously been occupied by a bus depot on Longman Road,[3] which had once been fronted by a row of terraced houses.[4]
The new building was designed by Reiach and Hall Architects in the Moderist style, built by Robertson Group with support from Willmott Dixon in concrete and glass at a cost of £24 million[5] and was officially opened on 30 March 2020.[6][7][8]
The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage facing north towards Harbour Road. The frontage was formed by a long colonnade of square columns supporting a concrete frame. In the left hand section of five bays, the columns were canted forward from the longer right hand section of 30 bays, so creating a sheltered area for access to the building. Behind the columns the building was clad in sheet glass. Internally, the building was laid out to accommodate six courtrooms.[9] The building was named Public Building of the Year in the Scottish Design Awards for 2021,[10] and was awarded the Architectural Excellence Award (Public) in the Scottish Property Awards for 2021.[11]
Notable court cases have included the trial and conviction of William MacDowell, in September 2022, for the murder of his lover, Renee MacRae, and their son, Andrew MacRae, in 1976: the case was heard by the High Court of Justiciary sitting in the Inverness Justice Centre.[12][13][14]
References
edit- ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Inverness Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court, including Police Station and boundary wall, Castle Wynd, Castle Hill, Inverness (LB35166)". Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "The end of an era for Inverness Castle". Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Topping Out milestone marks Inverness Justice Centre progress". Highland Council. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Ordnance Survey Map". 1972. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Inverness Justice Centre". Scape. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Scotland's first purpose-built justice centre opens in Inverness". Ross-shire Journal. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Low key opening for Inverness Justice Centre". Urban Realm. 21 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Building study: Inverness Justice Centre by Reiach and Hall". Architects Journal. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "New £23 million Inverness Justice Centre open". Press and Journal. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Inverness Justice Centre". Concrete Quarterly. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Inverness Justice Centre". NEC. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Renee MacRae: Man found guilty of killing lover and son in 1976". BBC News. 29 September 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Renee and Andrew MacRae: Jury at High Court in Inverness considering their verdict". John O'Groat Journal and Caithness Courier. 29 September 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Man guilty of murdering secret lover and their son near Inverness in 1976". The Guardian. 29 September 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2023.