The great and the good of London's legal world gathered with court staff to pay a tearful farewell to Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court, which closed for business last week. Its final trial ended with the jury unable to reach a verdict, and the last mention listed was ineffective. The panelling in the famous court, the venue for many famous trials, was made by Wylie & Lochhead, which produced the woodwork on the Titanic. And now the court has gone the same way as the unsinkable ship, to make way for the new Supreme Court.


Looking back over the court's history, Sir Igor Judge, president of the Queen's Bench Division, recalled some of its judges - which, on the harsher side, included Judge Jeffreys and Sir Ewan Montague, who on one occasion greeted the cross-examination of defence counsel Sir Harold Cassel by putting his head in his hands and moaning 'Oh God, oh God'.



Other more fair-minded judges, who were present at the closing ceremony, included Her Honour Judge Norwood and His Honour Fabyan Evans, who fought in vain to keep the court open. The building is scheduled to emerge, Phoenix-like, in two years time. What will happen to its grand fixtures and fittings is unknown, but anyone eager to own a piece of legal history may be advised to keep an eye on eBay in case the Department for Constitutional Affairs decides to flog some off to help recoup the estimated £30 million price tag of the Supreme Court