[1] However, as the number of court cases in Sheffield grew, it became necessary to commission a more modern courthouse for criminal matters: the sloping site selected by the Lord Chancellor's Department had been occupied by the Surrey Music Hall, a venue which dated from 1849, and, after the music hall burnt down, the street was occupied by shops and public houses.

[2][3] The new building was designed by Napper Collerton in the modern style, built by John Laing Construction in red brick and ashlar stone was completed in November 1995.

The central bay, which was three storeys high, featured a two-storey portico formed by two large piers supporting an entablature and a parapet.

Above the portico, there was a row of narrow windows at second floor level, surmounted by a parapet bearing a Royal coat of arms.

[12] The Princess Royal visited the Law Courts, in July 2021, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of their opening.