The 19th century courthouse building has been refurbished and brought back into use as part of the of the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunal Service’s (NICTS) effort to recover from Covid-19 delays.

The works, which began in autumn 2020, have included upgrades to allow hybrid hearings such as the installation of audio and video recording facilities and a large screen for families and interested parties to view proceedings.

Benefit appeals will take place in the venue from September 2021 and three legacy inquests, among other inquests, are due to be heard in the courthouse over the coming months.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said: “In a short period of time, this dormant building has been transformed into a valuable additional space which is now being used to ensure that we are able to deliver additional volumes of court business for citizens.

“This is a great use of a NICTS asset. It’s great to see it coming back into use and a boost to Banbridge.”