Four decades of criminal, civil and family justice have been celebrated to mark the 40th anniversary of the opening of Maidstone's Combined Court Centre.

The building in Barker Road, home to the county's principal crown and county courts and occupying an imposing position overlooking the River Medway, was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on October 31, 1984.

In testament to the important role it has since played, some of the highest ranking members of the judiciary in England and Wales joined past and present judges, barristers, staff, court professionals and users for the special celebrations held yesterday evening (November 14).

These included a thanksgiving service at nearby All Saints Church, led by the Very Revd John Richardson, Vicar of Maidstone, assisted by the Dean of Rochester, the Very Revd Dr Philip Hesketh, with a reading by the Archdeacon of Maidstone, the Venerable Andrew Sewell, and hymns sung by Rochester Cathedral Choir and soloist Thomas McGowan.

Readings were also made by the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the Hill, the Lord Lieutenant of Kent Lady Colgrain, the Muslim and Sikh chaplains at HMP Elmley, Mohammed Munim and Sewa Singh Lalli respectively, as well as Medway Hindu Parivar president and GP, Dr Madhu Patel.

There then followed the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at the court centre by Baroness Carr.

She had earlier remarked that Maidstone had "always been a place firmly in the business of dispensing justice" and that the presence of those attending was "testament to its standing".

Highlighting the "close relationship" between its judiciary and staff and the "tireless work" undertaken over the years, she added: "Maidstone will continue to represent one of the foremost legal centres of England and Wales.

"It is my absolute pleasure to celebrate its anniversary and wish all its staff and judges well in its upcoming years."

Other dignitaries included the President of the Supreme Court, Baron Reed of Allermuir, the President of the King's Bench Division, Dame Victoria Sharp, Senior Presiding Judge Lord Justice Green and Deputy Senior Presiding Judge, Mrs Justice Yip, former Senior Presiding Judge Lord Justice Edis, Kent Police Chief Constable Tim Smith, the High Sheriff of Kent, Dr Gill Fargher, Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott and the Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr John Perry.

The celebrations were also attended by some of those fortunate enough to be present 40 years ago when the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were greeted by the resident judge at the time, His Honour John Streeter, amid the cheers of the waiting crowds.

The current resident judge, His Honour Julian Smith, welcomed everyone to the resplendent sight of a packed courtroom with the judiciary in their ceremonial robes and wigs.

Describing the occasion as "exciting and extraordinary", he praised not only the building's role but also those professionals for whom it has also become "a kind of home".

Remarking on the legal calibre of those joining him to mark the ruby anniversary, he told the courtroom: "It is humbling for me to see this level of support for this court and it's ongoing efforts, and a genuine delight."

He said the event was not simply held to mark the "bricks and mortar" but also those very much connected to the building and the county town's legal history.

Court clerk for the ceremony, Kay Reed, was described by Judge Smith as a "stalwart who represents so much of what is good about this place", having been one of those at the original ceremony and who as a teenage shorthand typist had watched the law centre being built.

"We are celebrating the hard work by staff, court users and judiciary over the lifetime of this building and before, and which has served to make Maidstone Combined Court Centre the place it is, and that's a place worth celebrating," added Judge Smith.

Maidstone has had a long-standing link with justice as it was at Penenden Heath that one of the first recorded trials was held - a land dispute between Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, and the accused, William the Conqueror's half-brother, Bishop Odo of Bayeux and also Earl of Kent.

Fast forward to the 16th century and the West Kent Quarter Sessions and Assizes were being held in a wooden structure on the site of the current Town Hall building that overlooks Jubilee Square.

In 1608, an Upper Court House was built which heard civil cases, with what became known as the Lower Court House concerned with criminal proceedings.

However, in the mid-18th century the court houses and Brambles prison were demolished and in 1763 the Town Hall was opened and served as Maidstone's Law Courts.

With the completion of Maidstone Prison in 1819, a new courthouse followed in 1826, but it was County Hall which served as the main venue for the assizes for much of the 20th century and, with the implementation of the Courts Act 1971, became the venue for crown court hearings until the Barker Road site was completed in 1983 on what was once land occupied by a timber yard.

Designed by architect Lord Austin-Smith, the asymmetric five-storey building was constructed at an estimated cost of £14 million, with an impressive marble staircase at its heart.

Since its opening, the eight criminal courtrooms have seen more than their fair share of the bad and the ugly.

Notorious and prominent cases over the years have included the trials of M25 rapist Antoni Imiela, Chillenden murderer Michael Stone, and, more recently, that of double killer and hospital mortuary necrophiliac, David Fuller.

But while it may have hosted some of the most heinous of cases it has also been the birthplace of much good.

Not only was it the first crown court to have a Victim Support service helping those attending to give evidence whether as complainants or witnesses, but it also inspired Tony's Law which in 2022 introduced tougher punishments for those convicted of the most serious of child cruelty offences.

With those achievements now firmly woven into the building's illustrious history, the women behind them - Maureen Utting and Paula Hudgell respectively - were among the many guests at the ceremony, as was Paula's 10-year-old adoptive son, double amputee Tony Hudgell.

It was the convictions of his biological parents in courtroom two for physically abusing him as a baby, and then being handed by Judge Philip Statman what was in 2018 the maximum jail term of 10 years for their crimes, that set the ball rolling for Paula's fight for a change in the law.

Judge Smith highlighted the achievement in his welcome address, saying it was "another case going some way in explaining why this court is held in such high standing".

Speaking at what was hers and husband Mark's first visit to the building since the trial - and Tony's first ever visit - the Kings Hill mum said: "It is an honour and a privilege for us, especially Tony, to have been invited.

"Maidstone Crown Court is very important to us as it's where Tony's Law was inspired. But it's also very humbling to realise that the judiciary here share that same sense of importance and pride for helping to achieve new legislation.

"It's also been such a wonderful pleasure to speak to Judge Statman in person and for him to meet Tony, too.

"Tony knows what happened to him but the trial, although a part of his life, was not something he was party to.

"So we feel particularly honoured that he has been invited, not only so he has even more understanding of what happened but also so he can appreciate how important Tony's Law is to so many."

Another achievement was the crown court being chosen as one of a very select few which reopened just a week after the UK had gone into lockdown in March 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This difficult period saw a small army of dedicated staff helping to keep justice on track, as well as a huge advance in the use of technology in court proceedings.

“Justice matters to those who work here, and it shows. Maidstone has much to be proud of in its crown court…”

Although just 40 years old, the building has joined a list of those among HMCTS's crumbling court estate due to years of underfunding.

No one can forget the time when urine from the men's toilets in the barristers' robing room leaked into the packed courtroom below, or when faulty lifts meant a juror had to be discharged from service mid-trial as no disabled access could be provided to the building.

In fact, so infamous are the lifts that they have their own dedicated, anonymously-controlled account on the social media platform, X, as highlighted by the Lady Chief Justice in her speech.

Headlines over the years have also been created by its prominent location on the riverside proving to be too tempting an “escape” route.

In 2015, a defendant sprinted from the dock, fled the building and jumped into the water, only to be promptly hauled ashore with the aid of a safety ring - and into the arms of waiting police.

But while Edmund Burge KC, speaking at the 40th anniversary on behalf of the Kent Bar Mess, amusingly lamented the loss of "proper" cutlery and dry sherry at lunch, he also praised the ever-lasting "dedication and professionalism" of court staff.

"For 40 years the Bar has benefitted from their kindness, patience and good humour," he said.

"While the faces may have changed, the help they give us has not and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude for making our working day that bit easier and, dare I say, enjoyable."

And Law Society president Richard Atkinson summed up the importance of the law centre when he said: "For 40 years it has been at the forefront of upholding and protecting people's rights.

"This building is a physical reminder of the role of law here in Maidstone.

"Justice matters to those who work here, and it shows. Maidstone has much to be proud of in its crown court."