DUNDEE SHERIFF COURT

Project: Dundee Justice Hub – Civil Annex & EBC Suite
Client: Scottish Court & Tribunal Service
Location: Quadrant House, Dundee Sheriff Court
Value: £2.4m
Listing: N/A
Date Complete: 2024

Michael Laurie Architects (MLA) were commissioned in early 2022 by SCTS, to provide design proposals for a new judicial annexe for Dundee Sheriff Court.  Now known as Dundee Justice Hub, this facility aims to minimise trauma to vulnerable witnesses in a new transformative facility which will deal with civil cases from the jurisdiction. Included in the project are two digitised civil courtrooms, two vulnerable witness evidence suites and other accommodation for staff and the judiciary which focus firmly on the needs of court users and the public.  

The project also includes a bespoke Evidence by Commissionaire Suite (EbC). This enables witnesses to have their evidence pre-recorded in a trauma informed environment and manner, in advance of trial, supporting recovery and minimising the risks of re-traumatisation. The Dundee justice hub is the fifth such facility in Scotland all designed by MLA, with other hubs already open in Glasgow, Inverness, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. 

Sheriff Principal Gillian Wade KC said: “The Dundee justice hub is a visionary and pioneering project which I am proud to see opening.  

Sheriff Wade added: “As well as providing a natural home for the resolution of local disputes, it secures a safe space from which the most vulnerable witnesses can be supported to give their best evidence without having to fear the additional stress of appearing in a conventional courtroom.”