Former Supreme Court, Kuala Lumpur

The Former Supreme Court Building is the former court house of the Supreme Court of the Federated Malay States in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was opened in 1915 when the Supreme Court was relocated from Court Hill.

History
Work commenced on the Supreme Court Building in June 1912 after the old courts situated on Court Hill became inadequate due to the rapid increase in the business of the Court, and took two years and nine months to complete. It was designed by Government architect, Arthur Benison Hubback, and built at a cost of $208,500 Straits Dollars. The contractor was Ang Seng who was the contractor for the nearby Government Offices, now the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.

The building was opened by High Commissioner for the Federated Malay States, Sir Arthur Young at a ceremony held on 1 May 1915, in the presence of the Chief Judicial Commissioner Thomas Braddell, judges, court officials and members of the Bar.

Later, courts were relocated to the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, but in 2003 were moved to the Palace of Justice, Putrajaya following a fire. In 2020, the Former Supreme Court Building was occupied by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, while a spokesperson for Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) said that it had assumed responsibility for the maintenance of the building which, after much neglect, was in need of urgent maintenance.

Description
The Former Supreme Court Building situated in Jalan Raja, next to Independence Square, was constructed in the Indo-Sarcenic style similar to the Sultan Abdul Samad Building opened in 1897.

The two-storey building has four towers at each corner surmounted by domes which are linked by a double arcade of columns and arches which surround the building. The public entrance on the Gombak River side leads to an open courtyard in the centre of the building which has a double staircase to the courts situated on the upper floor.

The ground floor consisted of four offices, each 92 feet by 32 feet, the Registrar's Office, with a counter and two strongrooms. At the back of the ground floor were placed the cells which had access to the courts by a private staircase so prisoners could be brought to the dock without being seen by the public.

The upper floor had a library, and two courtrooms, each 70 feet by 32 feet, with a gallery to accommodate the public and the press. Leading from each court were the judges' chambers, robing rooms and witnesses' waiting rooms. The judges had their own entrance, and the towers were used as private tiffin rooms.