City of Westminster Magistrates' Court
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The City of Westminster Magistrates' Court is one of the three Magistrates' Courts of the central region of Greater London, along with Marylebone Magistrates' Court and City of London Magistrates' Court. It was originally Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court, named after Horseferry Road where it is sited, but was renamed in July 2006 when Bow Street Magistrates' Court closed. Since Bow Street has closed, City of Westminster has become the court where the Chief Magistrate of England and Wales sits, so all extradition and terrorism-related cases pass through the court. When Marylebone closes, which is scheduled for December 2006, City of Westminster will become the only court for the central area policed by the Metropolitan Police (the City of London is covered by the City of London Police).
Owing to its central location, Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court hears a disproportionate number of high profile cases[citation needed] and regularly features as the backdrop to news reports on British television.
The court building, designed by C. A. Legerton and opened in 1974, is functional and "of minimal personality and minimal expression of function and purpose", according to Pevsner.
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