[3] The building, which was designed by Sir Richard Allison and James Grey West in the Neoclassical style, was built between 1928 and 1933.

[5] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with thirteen bays facing onto Chichester Street with the end bays slightly projected forward; the central section of three bays featured a deeply recessed portico flanked by four Corinthian order columns supporting an entablature; the centre window on the first floor was decorated with a carving depicting the Royal coat of arms.

[4] It suffered from bomb damage in 1989[6] and again in January 1997 when the Irish Republican Army attacked the building resulting in one Royal Ulster Constabulary officer being injured.

[7] The Laganside Courts Complex, located to the north of the main building on the site of a former livestock market, was procured under a private finance initiative contract in 1999.

[8][9] The building, which was designed by Hurd Rolland and built by a joint venture of Turkington Construction and Karl Group at a cost of £50 million, was completed in 2002.