The Jury: Murder Trial is one of THE series to watch on television this week, as it re-enacts a real life murder trial in a groundbreaking legal experiment – but where is the location of the court house?
The Channel 4 four-parter, which airs on subsequent nights from Monday (February 26, 2024), re-stages a real life crime in front of two different juries in a bid to question “whether the jury service is fit for the 21st century”.
The answer is: You really don’t want to know. The two juries of 12 people (who know nothing of the other) listen to the evidence put before them, and must come to a conclusion about the guilt of the accused. But will both juries come to the same conclusion?
Here’s everything you need to know about the location of the grand court house in The Jury: Murder Trial.
Where is the Channel 4 series filmed?
Channel 4’s bold legal experiment The Jury: Murder Trial is filmed in the former court house in Chelmsford, Essex. The stunning building, called Shire Hall, was built in 1791 and was designed by architect John Johnson. Above the first floor windows are carvings depicting justice, wisdom and mercy.
It served as a courthouse for more than 200 years, but has not been used for that purpose since 2012.
That same year, a new state-of-the-art court building opened after 18 months of construction. The new Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court, in New Street, includes six courtrooms. It replaced three courtrooms at Shire Hall, Chelmsford, and two courtrooms in Witham.
The former court house, used as a location on The Jury: Murder Trial has been sat empty for more than a decade. The abandoned magistrates courts in the middle of Chelmsford were used for the Channel 4 docu-drama, and meant that work on pedestrianising the area in front had to be paused for six weeks to avoid disturbance from noise during filming.
The building’s two criminal courts are still mainly untouched since they were last used – including the docks and benches. There are still cells in the basement, too.
What is the location of the court house in The Jury: Murder Trial?
Shire Hall is a Grade II listed building located on Tindal Square in Chelmsford (CM1 1EH). The building has not been used for 12 years. According to the BBC, the building has cost Essex County Council around £900,000 in total to keep maintained.
Future plans for the building have included a wine bar, retail shops and a café. Other proposals have included a function room, and offices.
This is not the first time a TV crew has filmed in Shire Hall in Chelmsford. Also in 2023, ITV Studios production took over Shire Hall for 12 days for Mr Bates Vs The Post Office.
The Grade II listed building doubled as Winchester Crown Court in the drama starring Toby Jones. He and Katherine Kelly shot the pivotal trial scenes for the drama in both courtrooms one and two. Meanwhile, courtroom three on the first floor of Shire Hall was dressed as a Westminster Committee Room.
Read more: Channel 4 viewers need to ‘bleach their eyes’ after watching documentary Banged Up
The Jury: Murder Trial airs over four consecutive nights from Monday, February 26, 2024 at 9pm on Channel 4.
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