Old Bailey

American

[bey-lee] / ˈbeɪ li /

noun

the main criminal court of London, England.

Old Bailey British

noun

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.

Court records from the Old Bailey reveal that people often prioritized their hats over money during robberies.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2026

A Ukrainian man who is accused of setting fire to the prime minister's house told police he had never heard of Sir Keir Starmer, the Old Bailey has heard.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

His case has been sent to the Old Bailey where he will next appear on 15 May for a preliminary hearing.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

The Old Bailey was told on Thursday about police interviews with the three defendants.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 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