Editing Old Bailey (section)

{{short description|Court in London and one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court}}
{{distinguish|High Court of Justice|Royal Courts of Justice}}
{{other uses|Old Bailey (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox court
|court_name      = Central Criminal Court of England and Wales
|native_name     = Old Bailey
|image           = Oldbaileylondon-900.jpg
|imagesize       = 
|caption         = The Old Bailey in 2004
|jurisdiction    = [[England and Wales]]
|coordinates     = {{coord|51|30|57|N|0|6|6.5|W|type:landmark_scale:1000|display=title,inline}}
|location        = London {{postcode|EC|4}}
|chiefjudgetitle = [[Recorder of London]]
|chiefjudgename  = [[Mark Lucraft]]
|termstart       = 14 April 2020
}}

The '''Central Criminal Court of England and Wales''', commonly referred to as the '''Old Bailey''' after the street on which it stands, is a criminal [[court]] building in central London, one of several that house the [[Crown Court]] of [[England and Wales]]. The street outside follows the route of [[London Wall|the ancient wall]] around the [[City of London]], which was part of the fortification's [[Bailey (castle)|bailey]], hence the [[metonymic]] name.

The court has been housed in a succession of buildings on the street since the sixteenth century, when it was attached to the medieval [[Newgate Prison]]. The current main building block was completed in 1902, designed by [[Edward William Mountford]]; its monumental architecture is recognised and protected as a [[Grade II* listed building]].<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Central Criminal Court|num=1359218|access-date=18 October 2020}}</ref> An extension, South Block, was constructed in 1972, over the former site of Newgate Prison which had been demolished in 1904.

The Crown Court sitting in the Old Bailey hears major [[English criminal law|criminal cases]] from within [[Greater London]]. In exceptional cases, trials may be referred to the Old Bailey from other parts of England and Wales. As with most courts in England and Wales, trials at the Old Bailey are open to the public, although they are subject to stringent security procedures.