Courts (Adelaide) Open Day: Keith experiences the law in action in the Adelaide City region of South Australia

Look closely at the façade of the Sir Samuel Way Building on Victoria Square and you'll see the initials 'CM' embossed on the verandah. That gives a clue to the origin of the building - it was Charles Moore's department store.

It was all pomp and ceremony on opening day in 1916 when the building was proclaimed the 'largest business out of Rundle Street'. It enjoyed great commercial success until disaster struck in 1948.

Fire destroyed the department store. The blaze could be seen for miles and people flocked into the square to watch the flames gut the landmark building. The store was rebuilt and continued trading until 1980. The closing down sales signaled the beginning of the next chapter - when Governor, Don Dunstan opened the new courts complex in 1983.

Ahead of an upcoming open day, we're lucky enough to get a rare behind the scenes peek, with Chairman of the Courts' Community Relations Committee and Judge of the District Court, Judge Michael Boylan. He began in the basement where he showed us the 16 cells where prisoners are held before and after their appearance.

Judge Michael Boylan, District Court Judge: "Prisoners are brought here from the various institutions namely Yatala and the Adelaide Remand Centre and they are kept here before going upstairs to the various courts. The prisoners are monitored here, they are checked every 15 minutes and the cells are alarmed. There are a number of cell guards who can easily keep an eye on all the prisoners."

It's a part of the courts complex we don't usually get to see and so is a personal tour around a courtroom.

Judge Michael Boylan, District Court Judge: "We're now in Courtroom Number 2 of the 10 Criminal Courts in this building, 8 are identical to this one. This is where the judge sits and as we go further down the bench in front of the judge is for the judge's staff - an associate and a judicial support officer. At the other end of the associate's bench sit the court reporters.

"Moving further down this area is known as the 'well' of the court. Over here is the dock where accused persons sit during their trials and with them is always a Sheriff's Officer. The door to the cells leads out from the dock and there are a number of holding cells out there which service this court room and its mirror image on the other side.

"Here is what's known as the bar table - this is where the lawyers sit or stand during the course of the trial and over here is the public gallery where any member of the public can sit."

It's all a far cry from the very beginnings of South Australia's courts. The first Supreme Court was in a wooden building on Whitmont Square. Courts were housed in many locations around the growing city including a stint in the old Queen's Theatre in Gilles Arcade.

There are some gems in the court archives like a chilling death warrant complete with the black wax seal. Charles Strikeman was convicted of murder and hanged in 1877. Judge Boylen has also dug out the official proceedings of the first case ever heard - in May 1837.

Judge Michael Boylan, District Court Judge: "The accused was charged with stealing a flitch of bacon valued at 30 shillings. It was a jury trial and interestingly the foreman of the jury was Colonel William Light who designed our lovely city. The accused was found guilty, fined 5 pounds which was a lot of money in 1837 and he was then ordered to remain in prison until he'd paid the 5 pounds. One wonders how he would have managed to do that while he was in custody. But there's the result."

These documents and a display of other artifacts from the archives will all be part of next week's Courts Open Day.

On Saturday May 14 the Sir Samuel Way Building will be open to us all and you'll see everything we've seen today - the cells, the courtrooms and even the jury deliberations rooms. And CSI fans will love the forensic displays. It's all part of the Courts' desire to demystify the state's legal system. It'll also include mock trials and mock sentencing which always prove popular. More questions? email info@postcards-sa.com.au

Courts Open Day
Sir Samuel Way Building
Victoria Square
Saturday 14 May 2011
10am - 3pm

Published 8th May 2011