Court of Final Appeal Building, Neoclassical judicial building in Central, Hong Kong.
The Court of Final Appeal Building is a two-storey granite building in the Neo-classical style, supported by Ionic columns, at 8 Jackson Road on the eastern side of Statue Square. Its central dome is topped by a 2.7 m blindfolded statue of Themis holding scales and a sword. The facade has a pediment inscribed 'Erected AD MDCCCCX' with the royal coat of arms and statues of Veritas and Clementia.
The Supreme Court opened here on 15 January 1912, after piling with 1,447 fir trunks and a 1903 foundation stone. Japan's Kempeitai used the building as its headquarters during the occupation, and MTR-driven subsidence forced the court out in 1978. It housed the Legislative Council from 1985 to 2011, then reopened as the Court of Final Appeal on 7 September 2015.
The pediment facing Statue Square carries the inscription "Erected AD MDCCCCX" and the letters E and R for Edward Rex, with a royal shield of three lions for England, one lion for Scotland and a harp for Ireland, held by an English lion and a Scottish unicorn under the motto "Dieu et mon droit". Flanking the shield stand statues of Truth (Veritas) and Mercy (Clementia).
The site sits in the financial district between two public gardens and is easily accessible on foot when exploring central Hong Kong's main streets. The building can be viewed from outside and sits on a well-marked route with clear directions.
The building's foundation rests on Chinese fir tree trunks driven into reclaimed materials, creating a floating effect. This system is maintained by an underground water replenishment mechanism that keeps the structure stable.
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