"Detached symmetrical multi-bay three-storey over basement (with attic) Portland limestone clad neo-classical courthouse, built c.1933, to the designs of James G. West. Quadrangular on plan with advanced corner pavilion blocks, arranged around a central courtyard having mirrored principal elevations facing north onto Chichester Street and south onto May Street. Enclosed by decorative iron railings on balustrade stone wall to north and south with a tall stone-clad wall enclosing the east side elevation to Victoria Street. Pitched natural slate roofs hidden behind stone parapet having moulded coping.
Decorative iron hoppers with Royal insignia to the internal courtyard elevations only and cast-iron downpipes. Portland limestone ashlar walling with rock-faced rusticated plinth course and a full-span modillioned cornice below attic-storey with coffer panels and full entablature enriched with egg-and-dart, leaf-and-dart and bead mouldings.
Machine-made red brick walling to the courtyard elevations laid in Dutch bond. Square-headed window openings with multi-pane powder-coated steel casement windows. Colonnaded principal north elevation is thirteen windows wide with a central tetrastyle portico in antis. Portico articulated by four Corinthian columns on rock-faced rusticated plinths supporting continuous entablature, responding Corinthian pilasters within the portico having three panels to the soffit. All windows flanked by Giant order engaged Corinthian columns including the corner pavilions fully framed by additional pairs of Corinthian pilasters. Segmental-headed window openings to the attic-storey on the pavilion blocks with architrave surrounds and set within a semi-circular recess having stepped keystones embellished with cartouches. Architrave window surrounds to first floor with stepped keystones, cornices and moulded sills with shallow apron panels. Gibbsian-type architrave surrounds to the ground floor windows with segmental pediments and a continuous sill course. Decoratively carved Royal coat of arms to the central first floor window within the portico. Square-headed door opening to the portico with Gibbsian-type architrave surround embellished with leaf-and-dart mouldings, stepped keystone and decorative lintel cornice. Original double-leaf hardwood doors each having five panels with decorative mouldings and brass door furniture.
Door opens onto stone paved portico with four nosed steps and a pair of elaborate cast-iron lamp standards. The west pavilion has a further square-headed door opening with Gibbsian-type architrave surround, double-leaf timber doors (as per above), plain stone lintel and multi-pane overlight, opening onto four nosed stone steps.
East side elevation is nineteen windows wide with advanced corner pavilion blocks, detailed as per front elevation. Pilastered secondary south elevation is thirteen windows wide with a central tetrastyle portico in antis. Portico articulated by two Corinthian columns and two Corinthian corner pilasters on rock-faced rusticated plinths supporting continuous entablature. All window openings detailed as per north front elevation flanked by full-height Corinthian pilasters. Central square-headed door opening detailed as per front elevation. West side elevation is eighteen windows wide with advanced corner pavilion blocks, detailed as per front elevation. Symmetrical four-storey red brick elevations to the internal courtyard with a three-storey block to the centre, set on a north-south axis, possibly having additional storeys added c.1950.
Each elevation has a central gabled projection with the former courtyard infilled with late twentieth-century flat-roofed single-storey structures. Gauged brick flat-arched window openings with powder-coated multi-pane steel casement windows and masonry sills flanked by shallow brick pilasters having limestone heads. Limestone ashlar coping throughout with circular stone panels to the north and south gables inscribed; ‘A.D. 1932’ to the north and having a ‘Hand of Ulster’ carving to the south. Circular steel windows to occuli to the east and west projections. Setting Fronting onto Chichester Street with its east side elevation fronting onto Victoria Street and secondary elevation fronting onto May Street.
Small lawned front area to the north with both north and south elevations enclosed by iron railings on balustraded Portland limestone wall and surmounted by decorative cast-iron lamps. Elaborate cast-iron gates face each pavilion block to both north and south elevations framed by decorative cast-iron lamps. Bitmac paved parking areas to east, south and west.
East elevation enclosed to the street by double-height Portland limestone wall with continuous mouldings presenting a defensive character to the streetscape. Detached single-storey Portland limestone gate lodge located to the northwest having symmetrical elevations and continuous cornice below parapet. Square-headed window openings with multi-pane steel casement windows. Recessed central square-headed door opening to the north and east elevations flanked by Doric columns and having double-leaf hardwood panelled doors with multi-pane overlights."