Past – A Look Back at the Old Supreme Court Building
Exterior facade of the former Supreme Court building
Members of a certain vintage would remember their practice days at the Old Supreme Court Building which served as the Supreme Court for more than 60 years until 2005. In this special issue of the Singapore Law Gazette celebrating Singapore’s Golden Jubilee, we take a walk down memory lane and re-visit various parts of the Building, including the City Hall Building which have been conserved and re-modelled to become the National Gallery opening later this year. In the following pages we bring you a pictorial spread of the Old Supreme Court Building and juxtapose it with pictures of the new National Gallery – the transformation of the past to the present.
We are grateful to the Supreme Court of Singapore for the photographs of the Old Supreme Court Building and the City Hall Building.
One of the courtrooms at the old City Hall building
Another courtroom at the old City Hall building
Part of the sound system inside the City Hall Chamber
The City Hall Chamber (commonly known as the "Surrender Chamber"). The Annual Opening of Legal Year proceedings back then used to be held in this room
Standard set of stationery inside each courtroom
Portraits of the Chief Justices (former and current) hung at the back of the City Hall Chamber. These portraits are displayed in the Supreme Court building today
Storeroom used to keep criminal court documents
Storeroom used to keep civil court documents
Courtyard area at the City Hall building
Corridor next to the Main Entrance of the former Supreme Court building. The Justices' Law Clerks' offices were situated at the end of the corridor
Judges' Chambers
Former CJ's orderly closing the gates of the Chief Justice's Private Entrance to the former Supreme Court building
Chief Justice's Private Entrance to the former Supreme Court building
Interior of the Chief Justice's lift at the former Supreme Court building
Magistrates' Appeal Court in the former Supreme Court building
Cross junction at Level 2 of the old Supreme Court building. The right of the junction leads to the Technology Court
Holding cells for accused persons at the former Supreme Court building
Police post (rest area) for policemen who were deployed at the former Supreme Court building
Light switches in the old Supreme Court building
Shelves used by the policemen deployed to the former Supreme Court building