It will be at the heart of a new "justice precinct", which is one of the big catalyst projects included in the Hunter Development Corporation's plans to revitalise the CBD.

It will be the biggest court complex in NSW outside Sydney and will replace the rundown courthouse in Church Street, Newcastle.

NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos and Minister for the Hunter Jodi McKay outlined their plans to The Herald yesterday for the new court, which will open in 2015.

It will be on the Burwood wedge site close to the intersection of Hunter and Burwood streets, next to the Clarendon Hotel.

It will have at least 10 court rooms with video conferencing, airport-style perimeter security and a 24-hour cell complex.

The court will be able to hold trials as complex as the recent terrorist trial in Sydney, which required a lot of room to seat all of the defendants, lawyers and jurors in the case.

One of the court rooms will be large enough to seat up to 10 defendants and a jury panel of 15 members.

Space will be reserved for federal courts, should the commonwealth decide to move its operations.

The University of Newcastle has indicated to the NSW government it would move its law school to the precinct.

Ms McKay said the court would be the most significant investment made by the government in Newcastle since the Honeysuckle development in the early 1990s.

Mr Hatzistergos said Newcastle's court was expected to outshine the justice precinct in Parramatta, which has been considered a model for other court complexes.

"This will compare very favourably to Parramatta," Mr Hatzistergos said.

"It will have a bigger university presence on the site. It [Parramatta's precinct] is a blueprint that we are following on with in some respects.

"The facility we are building will not just meet immediate needs but it will be a building for the future."

The NSW budget will contain details of funding allocations, starting off with $4.7 million this year to buy the council-owned car park where the court will be located.