The building that had previously been used for such matters was a small wooden construction that was in serious disrepair by the late 1870s.

[4] Architect Benjamin Mountfort was commissioned to design the building, and it was opened in August 1880.

[4] As with Mountfort's other contributions to the city, it is an example of Gothic Revival architecture.

It remained in that role until 2017 when the Christchurch law courts moved to their new home at the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct.

The building was strengthened in the 1980s when it was converted to be the Family Court, and survived the 2011 Christchurch earthquake relatively unscathed, with only moderate damage to the chimneys and gable stonework, which was quickly repaired.