Portsmouth Crown Court Listings

Portsmouth Crown Court Listings and Hearings

Portsmouth Crown Court listings are published each working day and provide a full schedule of criminal hearings, trial dates, sentencing hearings, plea hearings and case management reviews taking place at the Portsmouth Combined Court Centre. Located on Winston Churchill Avenue, Portsmouth, PO1 2EB, this Crown Court centre serves the wider Hampshire and Isle of Wight region, handling serious indictable offences that include robbery, drug trafficking, grievous bodily harm, fraud, sexual offences and murder. Our listings are sourced directly from HMCTS daily court lists and updated to reflect courtroom allocations, sitting judges, and scheduled start times so that solicitors, barristers, defendants, witnesses and members of the public can check the court schedule before attending.

About Portsmouth Combined Court Centre

Portsmouth Courts of Justice is a combined court centre that houses both a Crown Court and a County Court within the same building. The current courthouse was built in 1982 in a modernist red-brick design by the Property Services Agency, at a cost of £7 million. Before this building opened, criminal hearings in Portsmouth were held at the Portsmouth Guildhall and, from 1960, at a smaller law courts building on the east side of Winston Churchill Avenue. The site of the current courthouse was formerly occupied by terraced housing on Swan Street, Russell Street and Upper Swan Street, which was destroyed during Second World War bombing raids. Today the building accommodates nine courtrooms equipped for jury trials, and handles Crown Court criminal cases alongside County Court civil and family matters.

Types of Cases Heard at Portsmouth Crown Court

As a Crown Court centre, Portsmouth handles the most serious criminal offences committed in Portsmouth, Gosport, Fareham, Havant, Waterlooville and surrounding areas across south-east Hampshire. The court hears cases in several categories:

• Indictable-only offences — murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and kidnapping that must be tried before a judge and jury.
• Either-way offences — cases such as theft, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, burglary and drug possession with intent to supply that have been sent up from magistrates' courts.
• Sentencing hearings — defendants committed from Portsmouth Magistrates' Court for sentencing where magistrates' sentencing powers are insufficient.
• Appeals — appeals against conviction or sentence from the magistrates' court.
• High Court cases — serious or high-profile criminal and civil matters referred to a High Court judge sitting at Portsmouth.

The Combined Court Centre also processes adoption, bankruptcy, housing disputes, money claims, domestic abuse protection orders, forced marriage protection orders, divorce hearings and childcare arrangement proceedings on its County and Family Court side.

Contact Details and Opening Hours

Portsmouth Combined Court Centre is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Crown Court switchboard can be reached on 02392 893 033, with criminal listings enquiries directed to 02392 893 060. The general enquiries line is 02392 893 000. Crown Court email correspondence should be sent to [email protected]. For jury service queries, call 02392 893 038, and for the Witness Service, contact 0300 332 1309. Counter services for urgent County Court enquiries operate between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.

Getting to Portsmouth Crown Court

The courthouse is situated on Winston Churchill Avenue in the city centre, a short walk from Portsmouth and Southsea railway station. If travelling by train, the station is served by South Western Railway services from London Waterloo and Southern services from Brighton, London Victoria and Littlehampton. From the station, the court is approximately a seven-minute walk heading south-west along Winston Churchill Avenue. Portsmouth Harbour station, which connects to the Isle of Wight via the Wightlink car ferry, is roughly a 12-minute walk away. Local bus routes including the 700, 1, 21 and Hard Interchange services stop within a few minutes' walk. There is no dedicated court car park, so visitors should use nearby pay-and-display car parks or pre-book a private parking space through services such as JustPark. Isambard Brunel Road and Guildhall Walk car parks are the closest options.

Building Facilities and Accessibility

Portsmouth Combined Court Centre has ramp access at the main entrance and lifts to all floors, making every courtroom accessible for wheelchair users and visitors with mobility requirements. Assistance dogs are welcomed throughout the building. A security arch is in operation at the entrance, and all visitors will be searched upon entry. The building provides catering facilities open from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm serving hot and cold food, along with coffee and vending machines. Free Wi-Fi is available inside the court. Prison Video Link facilities are available for hearings, conferences and legal visits, and can be booked by emailing [email protected] with the subject heading "Video Link Booking" or by telephoning 02392 893 061.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find today's Portsmouth Crown Court listings?

Daily listings for Portsmouth Crown Court are published on this page each working day before the court sits. You can also check the HMCTS XHIBIT system at xhibit.justice.gov.uk for live courtroom status updates from 10:00 am onward.

What time do hearings start at Portsmouth Crown Court?

Most Crown Court hearings are listed from 10:00 am, although some case management hearings and mentions may be scheduled at 9:30 am. Afternoon sessions typically resume at 2:00 pm. Always check the daily listing for your specific hearing time.

Can I attend a hearing at Portsmouth Crown Court as a member of the public?

Crown Court hearings are generally open to the public and press unless a judge orders reporting restrictions or a closed hearing. Public galleries are available in most courtrooms. You must pass through security screening on entry and electronic devices may need to be switched off inside courtrooms.

Where is Portsmouth Crown Court located?

Portsmouth Crown Court sits within the Portsmouth Combined Court Centre at The Courts of Justice, Winston Churchill Avenue, Portsmouth, PO1 2EB. The building is in the city centre, close to Portsmouth Guildhall and the University of Portsmouth campus.