In 1973 , the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional IRA exploded a car bomb in the street outside the courts , killing one and injuring 200 people . A shard of glass is preserved as a reminder , embedded in the wall at the top of the main stairs . Between 1968 and 1972 , a new South Block , designed by the architects Donald McMorran and George Whitby , was built to accommodate more modern courts . There are 18 courts in use at present . Court 19 is now used variously as a press overflow facility , as a registration room for first-day jurors or as a holding area for serving jurors
exploded a car bomb
1973 Old Bailey bombing
Old Bailey