Courts of Justice building, Valletta

Courts of Justice building, Valletta

The Courts of Justice building is a courthouse in Valletta built in the neoclassical style between 1965 and 1971. The Courts of Justice is built to the designs of architect Jo Tonna in the neoclassical style, and its main feature is a portico with six columns. The building has seven floors, three of which are below the main front street level. The building occupies an entire block of the city, except one corner which is occupied by the Savoy Building.

The Courts of Justice building stands on the site of Auberge d'Auvergne, a 16th-century building which housed knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Auvergne. The auberge was converted into a courthouse in the 19th century, and it remained so until the building was severely damaged when it was hit by a German parachute mine on 30 April 1941, during World War II.

The law courts moved to another location outside Valletta, but in 1943 they returned to the part of the auberge which was still standing. They remained there until 1956, when the premises had to be vacated due to their dilapidated state. The ruins of the auberge were subsequently demolished, and construction of a new courthouse on the same site began on 5 May 1965.

The present courthouse was inaugurated on 9 January 1971. The first case in the new building was held two days later on 11 January 1971. The courthouse also houses the Civil Courts Registry, the Court Archives, the police lock-up and a car park. The Valletta Police Station was formerly also housed within the building. Some buildings, opposite the Law Courts building on Strait Street, are an extension of the courts.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Valletta. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from iTunes App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Courts of Justice building on Map

Sight Name: Courts of Justice building
Sight Location: Valletta, Malta (See walking tours in Valletta)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Valletta, Malta

Create Your Own Walk in Valletta

Create Your Own Walk in Valletta

Creating your own self-guided walk in Valletta is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Valletta Introduction Walking Tour

Valletta Introduction Walking Tour

Malta's capital city, Valletta, occupies the strategic peninsula between the Marsamxett and Grand Harbours. It is Europe's smallest capital city.

Valletta was founded in the 16th century. Many of the original buildings were built by the Knights Hospitaller. The city was named for Jean Parisot de Valette, famous for defending the island from the Ottomans during the Great Seige of Malta...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Valletta Architectural Landmarks Tour

Valletta Architectural Landmarks Tour

Following the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, the knights of the Order of St John set about creating a city ‘built by gentlemen, for gentlemen’. The end result saw the island's capital become home to an array of elaborate Baroque buildings, some reflecting Mannerist features borrowed from neighboring Italy.

Many of these architectural monuments have proudly withstood the test of time...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles