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