Chester Magistrates’ Court Listings

About Chester Magistrates' Court

Chester Magistrates' Court is located at Grosvenor Street, Chester CH1 2XA, in the heart of the historic walled city of Cheshire. The court serves the Cheshire West and Chester local authority area and handles a wide range of summary offences, single justice procedure cases, and social security and child support appeals. As one of three magistrates' courts operating across the Cheshire region — alongside Crewe and South Cheshire Magistrates' Court and Warrington — Chester remains a key venue for criminal proceedings in the North West of England.

Hearings at Chester Magistrates' Court are presided over by magistrates (Justices of the Peace) or district judges who determine guilt, impose sentences, and manage preliminary hearings for indictable offences that are later committed to Chester Crown Court at Castle Square. Cases commonly dealt with include minor assaults, theft, public order offences, motoring matters, bail applications, and breach proceedings. The court also processes Single Justice Procedure (SJP) notices for low-level offences such as TV licence evasion and minor road traffic matters, which are handled by a single magistrate on paper without a traditional courtroom hearing.

Chester Magistrates' Court Opening Hours and Contact Details

The court building is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm. Counter services operate during the same hours. Telephone enquiries are answered between 8.30am and 5pm on weekdays by the Courts and Tribunals Service Centre on 0330 808 4407. For queries about Single Justice Procedure cases, the dedicated SJS line is 0300 303 0656, available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Outstanding fines or payment enquiries can be directed to 01928 703 324, and an automated payment line is available on 0300 790 9901.

General enquiries can also be emailed to [email protected], while fine and payment-related correspondence should be sent to [email protected] via the Cheshire and Merseyside Central Payment and Enforcement Centre.

Getting to Chester Magistrates' Court

Chester Magistrates' Court on Grosvenor Street does not have its own car park. The nearest paid parking options include Cuppin Street Car Park and Little Roodee Car Park, accessed from Grosvenor Road via Castle Drive. Both are a short walk from the court entrance. Chester railway station is approximately a 15-minute walk south-west of the court, with regular services operated by Transport for Wales, Avanti West Coast, Merseyrail, and Northern Trains connecting the city to Liverpool, Manchester, Crewe, Wrexham, and North Wales. Several bus routes stop close to the court on Grosvenor Street and Lower Bridge Street, including the 1, 2, 4, and X4 services.

Facilities and Accessibility

Chester Magistrates' Court provides disabled access, accessible toilet facilities, and a lift. Visitors with a disability who need assistance attending a hearing should contact the court in advance on 0330 808 4407. All visitors entering the building are subject to airport-style security screening. Members of the public and accredited media are permitted to observe proceedings from the public gallery on a first-come, first-served basis, unless specific reporting restrictions apply to a case. Separate waiting areas are available for prosecution and defence witnesses.

Types of Cases Heard at Chester Magistrates' Court

• Summary criminal offences including common assault, criminal damage, and shoplifting
• Road traffic matters such as drink driving, speeding, and driving without insurance
• Public order offences and breach of the peace
• Bail applications and breach of bail or community order conditions
• Single Justice Procedure (SJP) cases for minor regulatory and road traffic offences
• Preliminary hearings for either-way and indictable-only offences before committal to the Crown Court
• Social security and child support tribunal appeals

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find out if a case is listed at Chester Magistrates' Court today?

Daily hearing schedules for Chester Magistrates' Court are published on this page each morning. Listings include hearing times, courtroom numbers, and case reference details. Court schedules may be subject to last-minute changes, so checking on the day of attendance is advisable.

Can I attend a hearing at Chester Magistrates' Court as a member of the public?

Yes. Magistrates' court hearings in England and Wales are generally open to the public. Seating in the public gallery at Chester Magistrates' Court is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Some cases may have reporting restrictions that limit what can be publicly disclosed.

Where do more serious cases from Chester go after the magistrates' court?

Cases that are too serious for magistrates to sentence, or indictable-only offences such as robbery, are committed or sent to Chester Crown Court on Castle Square. Chester Crown Court sits in a Grade I listed building designed by Thomas Harrison in 1801 and handles jury trials and more complex criminal matters for the Cheshire region.

What should I bring when attending Chester Magistrates' Court?

Anyone attending a hearing should bring their court summons or postal requisition letter, photographic identification, and any relevant documents requested by their solicitor. Mobile phones must be switched to silent before entering a courtroom, and photography inside the court building is strictly prohibited.