[2] However, as the number of court cases in Cornwall grew, it became necessary to commission a dedicated courthouse for criminal matters.

The site selected by the Lord Chancellor's Department had been occupied by Truro Castle in the 13th century and, from around 1840, by a cattle market.

It was designed by Eldred Evans and David Shalev in the modernist style,[4] built with walls covered in grey render at a cost of £4.9 million,[5] and was completed in September 1988.

The right hand section featured a portico with a steep pediment containing a Royal coat of arms.

[10] Notable cases have included the trial and conviction of four members of the pressure group, the Revived Cornish Stannary Parliament, in January 2002, for the theft of signs belonging to English Heritage.