The Palace of Justice forms part of the northern façade of Church Square in

Pretoria Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to the country. Pretoria strad ...

. The building dates to the nineteenth century and was designed by the Dutch architect Sytze Wierda. It is currently the headquarters of the

Gauteng Division The Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa is a superior court, superior court of law which has general jurisdiction over the South African province of Gauteng and the eastern part of North West (South African province), North West pro ...

of the

High Court of South Africa The High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law in South Africa. It is divided into nine provinces of South Africa, provincial divisions, some of which sit in more than one location. Each High Court division has general jurisdiction ov ...

. The foundation stone was laid on June 8, 1897 by South African Republic (ZAR) President

Paul Kruger Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (; 10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904), better known as Paul Kruger, was a South African politician. He was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South Africa, and State Preside ...

. The most famous political trial in South Africa's history, the

Rivonia Trial The Rivonia Trial was a trial that took place in apartheid-era South Africa between 9 October 1963 and 12 June 1964, after a group of anti-apartheid activists were arrested on Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia. The farm had been the secret location f ...

, took place here. During the trial,

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...

and a number of other prominent

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a political party in South Africa. It originated as a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid and has governed the country since 1994, when the 1994 South African general election, fir ...

(ANC) members were charged with treason and subsequently jailed.

Construction

The Palace of Justice was built by the Departement van Publieke Werken (DPW) under the guidance of design architect Sytze Wierda and builder John Munro. Construction of the building took place during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

, during which it was used temporarily as a hospital for British soldiers. The interior design features an ornate combination of polished wood, brass, stained glass, tiled floors, and several other prestigious fixtures for its era. At the time of completion, construction costs totaled £115 260.

References

641 Buildings and structures in Pretoria Tourist attractions in Pretoria {{Gauteng-geo-stub

Construction

See also

References