[1] Until the late 1990s, Crown Court hearings were held at the Sessions House in Surbiton.

The site selected by the Lord Chancellor's Department in The Bittoms had been the site of a Royal palace in the 13th century,[3][4][5] but was occupied by the Third Kingston Scout Group by the mid-20th century: it was acquired by Surrey County Council for redevelopment in 1966.

[7] It was designed and built by a joint venture of HBG and Kyle Stewart[8] in the modernist style[9] in brick and glass with stone dressings at a cost of £18 million and was completed in 1997.

The central bay featured a recessed full-height glass atrium with a semi-circular revolving door on the ground floor, a modern oriel window and a Royal coat of arms on the first floor and a small pediment above.

[11] Notable cases heard at the court include the trial and conviction of six men, including Abu Izzadeen, Sulayman Keeler and Abdul Rahman Saleem, in 2008, on charges of supporting terrorism[12] and the trial and conviction of Kirk Reid, in 2009, on 28 charges of rape and sexual assault.