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Old Bailey

American  
[bey-lee] / ˈbeɪ li /

noun

  1. the main criminal court of London, England.

Old Bailey British  

noun

  1. the chief court exercising criminal jurisdiction in London; the Central Criminal Court of England

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

An IT specialist working for MI5 on a contract who disclosed intelligence information to a "foreign power" has been found "not guilty by reason of insanity" by an Old Bailey jury.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

During his trial at the Old Bailey, prosecutor Richard Latham QC described Huntley as "ruthless" and said Huntley's account of both deaths were "desperate lies".

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

Huntley was convicted on 17 December 2003 following a trial at the Old Bailey.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

The case had remained unsolved until he pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey on Monday, in what was a shock confession as audible gasps were heard throughout the court.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

But there must be another line after the bells of Old Bailey.

From "1984" by George Orwell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.