The Legislative Council of Hong Kong 立法會 moves to Tamar

Hong Kong Legislative Council Building facing Statue Square (July 2011)

So the moment has come for the Legislative Council (often truncated to "Legco")members to say goodbye to the Legislative Council Building at 8 Jackson Road Central. The Legislative Council is now on summer recess. The plan is that when it resumes in September, it will have relocated to the new purpose built premises at the Tamar site. I thought this is a good time to ponder on some Hong Kong history, so here goes.

Hong Kong Legislative Council Building built 1910

The Legislative Council Building 立法會大樓, a 2 storey granite building, was built on reclaimed land using hundreds of Chinese fir-tree piles as foundations. It was opened on 15 January 1912 by the Governor of the day, Sir Frederick Lugard.

It was originally home to the Supreme Court which explains why the building is surmounted by a statue of the Greek goddess of justice and law, Themis.

Statue of Themis on Hong Kong Legislative Council Building

In 1985, the Supreme Court relocated to a new building in Admiralty and the old Supreme Court Building was then converted for the Legislative Council Chambers.
The Supreme Court was renamed the High Court 高等法院 in 1997 but the road leading to the main entrance of what is now called the High Court Building is still named the Supreme Court Road.

Following the Legislative Council’s move to the Tamar site, the current building will revert back for use as home to the Court of Final Appeal.