The Assize Courts was the first civic building to be constructed in Manchester after the town hall on King Street by Francis Goodwin in 1819.

The competition was won by Alfred Waterhouse whose design beat schemes from other renowned architects such as Thomas Worthington and Edward Walters.

[3] Waterhouse designed the building in the Venetian Gothic style; construction began in 1859 and was completed in 1864.

The nearby 1862 Strangeways Prison was included in his design as part of the scheme; it is a Grade II listed structure.

[4] The building contained exterior sculptures by Thomas Woolner and the firm of O'Shea and Whelan.