Weatherfield Magistrates Court is the lower court of justice where summary trials take place, whereas in Weatherfield Crown Court trials on indictment occur. Many residents of Coronation Street and its immediate environs have had trials or hearings which have taken place in the Magistrates Court, which has on occasion heard other matters related to licencing and child custody. Many appearances have been to hear pleas on serious cases, and to determine bail before the trial itself is escalated to the Crown Court to be heard by a jury, or for severe sentencing to take place.
Background[]
Weatherfield Magistrates Court has so far featured in 93 episodes of Coronation Street, showing either the courtroom, its entrance halls, foyers, other rooms or the exterior. This article pre-supposes that any appearance on-screen takes place in the Weatherfield Magistrates Court with, to date, no other courts being named as the setting. Unlike the Crown Court, where only one trial has occured off-screen, several early trials in the Magistrates Court were not enacted on-screen with its first appearance taking place in Episode 449 (31st March 1965) when Leonard Swindley and Emily Nugent were convicted of driving offences.
Seven known present and former Magistrates Courts in the North West of England have featured as Weatherfield Magistrates Court in the programme, with studio sets being used for all appearances up to 1981, and also since 2020, the latter initially being driven by the COVID-19 pandemic when location filming was not possible, leading to a small courtroom set being built at the MediaCity studios.
- For details of all trials, including those not seen on screen, see List of trials
| Episode(s) | Defendent | Places seen on screen | Locations used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 449 (31st March 1965) (1 episode) | Leonard Swindley & Emily Nugent | Court 3 and corridor | Studio |
| Episode 563 (4th May 1966) (1 episode) | Ena Sharples | Courtroom and waiting room | Studio |
| Episode 651 (13th March 1967) (1 episode) | Ken Barlow | Courtroom | Studio |
| Episode 926 (10th November 1969) to Episode 927 (12th November 1969) (2 episodes) | Elsie Tanner | Courtroom and corridor | Studio |
| Episode 1124 (25th October 1971) to Episode 1125 (27th October 1971) (2 episodes) | Jerry Booth | Courtroom No.1 and corridor | Studio |
| Episode 1408 (15th July 1974) (1 episode) | Stan Ogden | Exterior | Manchester Magistrates Court, Crown Square |
| Episode 1640 (4th October 1976) to Episode 1641 (6th October 1976) (2 episodes) | Licencing application by Renee Bradshaw | Courtroom 3 and foyer | Studio |
| Episode 1802 (24th April 1978) to Episode 1803 (26th April 1978) (2 episodes) | Len Fairclough | Courtroom and foyer | Studio |
| Episode 2150 (9th November 1981) to Episode 2151 (11th November 1981) (2 episodes) | Brian Tilsley | Courtroom and waiting area | Studio |
| Episode 2454 (8th October 1984) (1 episode) | Jack Duckworth | Court exterior | Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court, Bexley Square |
| Episode 3961 (15th January 1996) (1 episode) | Malcolm Fox | Courtroom, foyer and ladies' toilets | Manchester Magistrates Court, Crown Square |
| Episode 3989 (20th March 1996) (1 episode) | Jim McDonald (Plea hearing) | Courtroom 10 and corridor | Manchester Magistrates Court, Crown Square |
| Episode 3992 (27th March 1996) (1 episode) | Jim McDonald (Prison remand) | Courtroom 4 and corridor | Manchester Magistrates Court, Crown Square |
| Episode 4003 (22nd April 1996) (1 episode) | Jim McDonald (Sentencing) | Corridor | Manchester Magistrates Court, Crown Square |
| Episode 4008 (3rd May 1996) (1 episode) | Steve & Vicky McDonald (plea hearing) | Courtroom, waiting area and corridor | Manchester Magistrates Court, Crown Square |
| Episode 4338 (21st January 1998) (1 episode) | Deirdre Rachid (Plea hearing) | Courtroom and waiting area | Eccles Magistrates Court, Irwell Place |
| Episode 4554 (3rd February 1999) (1 episode) | Carl Foster and one other (Plea hearing) | Foyer and stairway | Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court |
| Episode 5092 (13th August 2001) (1 episode) | Roy & Hayley Cropper (Plea hearing) | Courtroom and waiting area | Manchester Magistrates Court, Crown Square |
| Episode 5413 (6th January 2003) (1 episode) | Ken Barlow | Courtroom, waiting room and exterior | Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court |
| Episode 5683 (2nd February 2004) to Episode 5684 (2nd February 2004) (2 episodes) | Rita Sullivan | Courtroom, corridor, stairway, foyer and chambers | Eccles Magistrates Court (Courtoom), Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court (Other rooms) |
| Episode 5685 (4th February 2004) (1 episode) | Rita Sullivan | Chambers | Unknown |
| Episode 5877 (27th October 2004) (1 episode) | Sunita Alahan | Courtroom | Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court |
| Episode 5997 (4th April 2005) (1 episode) | Angela Harris (Plea hearing) | Courtroom 1 and foyer | Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court |
| Episode 6081 (29th July 2005) (1 episode) | Scooter Makuna | Courtroom and stairway | Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court |
| Episode 6083 (1st August 2005) to Episode 6084 (1st August 2005), Episode 6111 (9th September 2005) (3 episodes) | Steve McDonald & Tracy Barlow (Access rights to Amy Barlow) | Mediation room, Judge's chambers, foyer and waiting room | Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court |
| Episode 6299 (24th May 2006) (1 episode) | Kelly Crabtree | Courtroom and foyer | Old County Police Station, Castle Street, Bolton |
| Episode 6472 (17th January 2007) (1 episode) | Tracy Barlow (Plea hearing) | Courtroom and exterior | Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court |
| Episode 6728 (11th January 2008) (1 episode) | Kevin Webster | Courtroom, foyer and stairway | Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court |
| Episode 6793 (11th April 2008) to Episode 6794 (11th April 2008), and Episode 6798 (18th April 2008) to Episode 6799 (18th April 2008) (4 episodes) | David Platt | Courtroom, foyer, corridor and exterior | Widnes Magistrates Court, Kingsway |
| Episode 6955 (26th November 2008) (1 episode) | Becky Granger | Courtroom, corridor, foyer and exterior | Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court |
| Episode 7217 (27th November 2009) to Episode 7218 (27th November 2009) (2 episodes) | Tony Gordon (Plea hearing) | Courtroom and foyer | Widnes Magistrates Court |
| Episode 7296 (18th March 2010) (1 episode) | Gail McIntyre (Plea hearing) | Courtroom and exterior | Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court |
| Episode 7451 (22nd October 2010) and Episode 7452 (22nd October 2010) (2 episodes) | David Platt (Plea hearing) | Foyer | Unknown |
| Episode 7620 (9th June 2011) (1 episode) | Fiz Stape (Plea hearing) | Courtroom | Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court |
| Episode 7700 (26th September 2011) (1 episode) | Frank Foster (Plea hearing) | Courtroom | Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court |
| Episode 8427 (16th July 2014) (1 episode) | Peter Barlow (Plea hearing) | Corridor and cell | Unknown |
| Episode 8924 (13th June 2016) to Episode 8925 (13th June 2016) (2 episodes) | Izzy Armstrong | Courtroom | Rochdale Magistrates Court on Newgate |
| Episode 8935 (1st July 2016) (1 episode) | Izzy Armstrong (Sentencing) | Courtroom and corridor | Rochdale Magistrates Court |
| Episode 9160 (8th May 2017) (1 episode) | Tracy Barlow (Plea hearing) | Courtroom | Rochdale Magistrates Court |
| Episode 9310 (27th November 2017) to Episode 9311 (27th November 2017) (2 episodes) | Anna Windass (Plea hearing) | Courtroom and waiting area | Rochdale Magistrates Court |
| Episode 9332 (21st December 2017) (1 episode) | Billy Mayhew | Courtroom and exterior | Rochdale Magistrates Court |
| Episode 9615 (16th November 2018) (1 episode) | Abi Franklin | Courtroom and foyer | Warrington Magistrates Court, Arpley Street |
| Episode 9681 (30th January 2019) (1 episode) | Adoption hearing for Charlie and Lexi Franklin | Courtroom and foyer | Warrington Magistrates Court building |
| Episode 9814 (5th July 2019) (1 episode) | Nick Tilsley & David Platt | Courtroom and corridor | Warrington Magistrates Court building |
| Episode 9912 (31st October 2019) (1 episode) | David Platt, Tez Collier & Abe Crowley | Courtroom and holding cell | Warrington Magistrates Court building |
| Episode 9980 (15th January 2020) to Episode 9981 (15th January 2020) (2 episodes) | Fiz Stape | Courtroom and waiting area | Warrington Magistrates Court building |
| Episode 10060 (11th May 2020) (1 episode) | Yasmeen Metcalfe (Plea hearing) | Courtroom | Warrington Magistrates Court building |
| Episode 10237 (1st February 2021) (1 episode) | Paul Foreman | Courtroom and corridor | Studio |
| Episode 10325 (14th May 2021) (1 episode) | Kelly Neelan (Plea hearing) | Courtroom | Studio |
| Episode 10345 (7th June 2021) (1 episode) | Corey Brent (Plea hearing) | Courtroom | Studio |
| Episode 10408 (20th August 2021) (1 episode) | Hope Stape | Courtroom | Studio |
| Episode 10570 (23rd February 2022) (1 episode) | Abi Webster (Custody hearing for Alfie Franklin) | Courtroom and corridor | Studio |
| Episode 10713 (10th August 2022) (1 episode) | Ryan Connor | Courtroom | Studio |
| Episode 10865 (30th January 2023) (1 episode) | Max Turner & Blake Myers (Plea hearing) | Courtroom and corridor | Studio |
| Episode 10898/9 (10th March 2023) (2 episodes) | Stalking protection order against Justin Rutherford | Courtroom | Studio |
| Episode 10930 (17th April 2023) (1 episode) | Justin Rutherford (Plea hearing) | Courtroom | Studio |
| Episode 10964/5 (26th May 2023) (2 episodes) | Paul Foreman | Corridor and court 4 | Studio |
| Episode 11003/4 (12th July 2023) (2 episodes) | Custody hearing for client of Adam Barlow | Courtroom and corridor | Studio |
| Episode 11109/10 (13th November 2023) (2 episodes) | Bernie Winter | Courtroom and waiting area | Studio |
| Episode 11127 (4th December 2023) (1 episode) | Bernie Winter (Sentencing) | Courtroom and corridor | Studio |
| Episode 11212 (13th March 2024) (1 episode) | Simon Barlow | Courtroom | Studio |
| Episode 11218 (20th March 2024) (1 episode) | Dylan Wilson | Courtroom | Studio |
| Episode 11235 (8th April 2024) (1 episode) | Mason Radcliffe | Courtroom and side room | Studio |
| Episode 11240 (15th April 2024) (1 episode) | Roy Cropper (Plea hearing) | Cell | Unknown |
| Episode 11290 (12th June 2024) (1 episode) | Injunction hearing against Toyah Battersby | Courtroom | Studio |
| Episode 11353 (2nd September 2024) (1 episode) | Jack Webster (Plea hearing) | Waiting room | Studio |
| Episode 11356 (4th September 2024) (1 episode) | Jack Webster | Waiting room | Studio |
| Episode 11373 (27th September 2024) (1 episode) | Joel Deering (Plea hearing) | Courtroom | Studio |
| Episode 11381 (7th October 2024) (1 episode) | Carla Connor | Corridor | Studio |
| Episode 11477 (24th January 2025) (1 episode) | Leanne Battersby | Waiting area | Studio |
| Episode 11495 (17th February 2025) (1 episode) | Max Turner (Plea hearing) | Courtroom | Studio |
| Episode 11504 (26th February 2025) (1 episode) | Dylan Wilson | Courtroom and corridor | Studio |
| Episode 11507 (3rd March 2025) (1 episode) | Max Turner | Courtroom | Studio |
Gallery of external courtroom locations[]
| Location | Years used | |
|---|---|---|
|
Manchester Magistrates Court, Crown Square | 1974, 1996, 2001 |
|
Old Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court, Bexley Square | 1984, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 |
|
Eccles Magistrates Court, Irwell Place | 1998, 2004 |
|
Old County Police Station, Castle Street, Bolton | 2006 |
|
Widnes Magistrates Court | 2008, 2009 |
|
Rochdale Magistrates Court, Newgate | 2016, 2017 |
|
Warrington Magistrates Court, Arpley Street | 2018, 2019, 2020 |