The courthouse is located on Bishop Street and can be reached from either the city wall entrance at Bishop's Gate or the city centre from The Diamond.
The bus station is approximately half a mile from the courthouse. The railway station is situated on the other side of the river, approximately 2 km from the courthouse. For information about bus and rail timetables contact Translink on 028 9066 6630 or www.translink.co.uk
There is no car parking at the courthouse, but there is a car park directly opposite the building and several in the city centre.
The building is open from 9.00am. The office is open to the public from 9.30am to 4.30pm. The courts generally start at 10.00am, stopping for lunch around 1.00pm and resuming at 2.00pm, until the daily business is finished. The office is open for fine payment or other business during lunch.
There is a coffee bar in the courthouse which is opened from 9.30am to 2.45pm. There is also a range of coffee shops and restaurants in the city centre. There is a payphone in the main waiting area in the main court building and also in the administration block, and a tannoy system throughout the building. There is a no smoking policy in Londonderry courthouse.
Care must be taken in the use of mobile phones whilst in the precincts of the court. It is prohibited to use any photographic or recording device within the court building and the area immediately surrounding it. Some mobile phones are capable of performing this function and therefore you are advised not to use mobile phones for this purpose whilst attending court. Mobile phones must be switched off before entering a courtroom.
Anyone wishing to take notes in court must obtain the judge's prior permission.
If you are a victim or witness for the prosecution, Victim Support Northern Ireland offers a Witness Service at all the Crown and Magistrate' Courts.
Before the Trial: opportunity to talk to someone; pre-trial familiarisation visit to court; information on court procedures.
During the Trial: safe waiting area; liaison with court officers and legal representatives; arrangements for witnesses with special needs; accompanying witnesses into court.
After the Trial: preparing victims for case outcome; encouraging continued contact with Victim Support Community Service; referral on to other agencies.
Located in the main court building, there is currently a 'Witness in Fear room' in Londonderry where child witnesses sit to give their evidence, we have a local arrangement whereby child witnesses in criminal cases wait in the NSPCC office located a few meters from the court house. Victim Support has a room dedicated to them within the court building. This is used for vulnerable/intimidated witnesses. Womens Aid also has a dedicated room. There is a separate waiting area for victims of Domestic Violence. In the admin block, there is a separate waiting area for children. It is also used by Womens' Aid if pre-booked.
The staff in the main office on the ground floor will help with any queries
you may have. There are information plasma screens in the waiting area of the
main court building that display lists of the daily business for each courtroom.
If you require additional information or need to meet someone on arrival, you
can get help from the reception desk or court office which will be available
from 9.30am each court day.
If you have not already done so, you may wish to contact a solicitor before
coming to court. Please note that you must attend court at the time you have
been given, although you may not be called until after this. If you feel you
have been waiting too long, please contact a court official.
If you have a disability or a special need, please contact the Customer Service Officer who will provide you with information on the facilities available. All courtrooms in Londonderry have induction loop systems, and our leaflets can also be made available in large print.
If you are aged 14 or over and have to give evidence in court, you will be required either to take a religious oath or 'affirm' that you will tell the truth. The court clerk will ask you which method you want to use, and invite you to repeat after them the appropriate words. A religious oath is a sworn promise to tell the truth and is made on a holy book. An affirmation is a declaration to tell the truth but it is not sworn on a holy book.
The Customer Service Centre is responsible for the receipt of fines,
registering of fixed penalties, processing compensation awards and issuing
warrants. It also handles general queries for court matters relating to criminal
business.
The office can be contacted by:
For further information on Londonderry courthouse please contact:
The Customer Service OfficerThis information sheet will be made available in a range of alternative formats. Requests for alternative formats should be made to Communications Group. For further information on other courthouses please contact:
NI Courts and Tribunals Service Communications GroupThe Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service is committed to improving its quality of service to all court users. By making comments about our services, you enable us to improve them. By making a complaint, you enable us to put things right.