Old Bailey: One hundred years of crime and punishment

LONDON: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the Old Bailey yesterday, marking the centenary of a court that has hosted some of the most dramatic cases in British legal history.

In its 100 years, it has dealt with infamous criminals such as killer Dr Crippen; World War II traitor "Lord Haw Haw" William Joyce; gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray and mass murderer Peter Sutcliffe, better known as the Yorkshire Ripper.

Formally known as the Central Criminal Court, but more widely known after the street in which it stands, the Old Bailey was opened by King Edward VII in 1907. It was built on the site of the notorious Newgate prison, once part of the walls of the city of London, which was in use from 1188 to 1902, and rebuilt after the Great Fire of London in 1666.