The new Court of Final Appeal (TUI) building was inaugurated by Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai yesterday, according to a TUI statement yesterday evening.
The Court of Final Appeal was relocated from its previous premises in the Nam Van Lake district to the Old Courthouse in the city centre yesterday.
The media were not invited to cover yesterday’s inauguration ceremony.
The Court of Final Appeal had shared a building with the Court of Second Instance (TSI) in the Nam Van Lake district since the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) on December 20, 1999. The building is situated next to the Legislative Assembly (AL) building.
Following the top court’s relocation to the Old Courthouse in the city centre yesterday, the building in the Nam Van Lake district is now used by the Court of Second Instance only.
The government launched a project to convert the Old Courthouse and the adjacent former Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters into the new premises for the Court of Final Appeal. The project, which began in October 2022, was completed in February this year.
The three-judge Court of Final Appeal has now been relocated to the new complex in the city centre, consisting of the Old Courthouse on Avenida da Praia Grande, and a new building on Rua Central constructed on the site where the former PJ headquarters was demolished.
The new building on Rua Central is used for the Office of the President of the Court of Final Appeal.
The Court of Final Appeal is currently headed by Song Man Lei. Since the establishment of the MSAR, the top court had been headed for nearly 25 years by Sam Hou Fai until late August 2024 when he resigned as the MSAR’s chief judge so that he could run in the chief executive election. Sam took office as the MSAR’s chief executive on December 20, 2024. Song was appointed as the president of the Court of Final Appeal in early December 2024, filling the vacancy of the MSAR’s top judge left by Sam’s resignation.
According to yesterday’s TUI statement, Sam and Song unveiled the inaugural plaque of the new TUI building yesterday. The new premises for the top court is officially named the Court of Final Appeal Building.
The Old Courthouse built in 1951 initially housed various entities by Macau’s then Portuguese administration and later its courts. After the establishment of the MSAR, the building was used for the Court of First Instance (TJB) until 2003. The three-storey building in Portugal’s “Estado Novo” (“New State”) style was subsequently used for temporary exhibitions and other cultural activities, before the launch of the project for the new Court of Final Appeal premises a few years ago.
The government was previously planning to convert the Old Courthouse into the city’s new central library, but eventually axed the proposal in 2020 when it decided to turn the heritage-listed building and the adjacent former PJ headquarters into the new premises for the Court of Final Appeal. The city’s new central library is currently being constructed on the site where the former Hotel Estoril, opposite Praça do Tap Siac, was demolished.
Chief judge’s speech
Delivering a speech during yesterday’s inauguration ceremony, according to the statement, Song noted that the newly named Court of Final Appeal Building, previously known as the Old Courthouse, was constructed in 1951 and was previously used as offices for various government entities and courts.
Song said that the building holds deep historical memories of Macau’s judicial organs, silently bearing witness to the smooth transition of the judicial system and judicial organs during the early stages of Macau’s return to the motherland and their subsequent sustained development. The building has also recorded the dedication and efforts that numerous judges, prosecutors, and other judicial personnel have poured into building the rule of law in the MSAR, she said.
Song said that the relocation of the Court of Final Appeal to its new premises has enabled facilities and equipment of the MSAR’s judicial organs to reach a new level, while demonstrating the great importance attached by the government to judicial independence and the rule of law and reflecting the strong expectations across all segments of civil society for judicial fairness and efficient adjudication.
Song said that the new building provides the Court of Final Appeal with a better working and judicial environment, enabling all court staff to better fulfil their legal duties and deliver higher-quality services to the public.
Song said that the opening of the new Court of Final Appeal Building is a major historical milestone in the top court’s development. This represents not only a fresh starting point, but also brings new responsibilities, she said.
The chief judge pledged that the Court of Final Appeal will continue to firmly uphold the constitutional order of the MSAR established by the nation’s Constitution and the local Basic Law, faithfully implement the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, resolutely safeguard the nation’s sovereignty, security, and development interests, and independently exercise judicial power and final adjudication in accordance with the law.
The top court will ensure that all cases are tried fairly and promptly, serving as the ultimate safeguard of social fairness and justice, she said.
Song underlined that the Court of Final Appeal will continue to promote judicial transparency and accessibility, enhance the quality of judicial decisions, strengthen communication with all sectors of society, and align its work more closely with the public to better serve them.
Moreover, Song said, the court will make full use of the new building’s facilities to further advance court digitalisation, streamline case management processes, boost judicial efficiency, and contribute to the rule of law and a harmonious society in Macau.
According to the statement, yesterday’s inauguration ceremony was also attended by Legislative Assembly (AL) President André Cheong Weng Chon, Secretary for Administration and Justice Wong Sio Chak, Secretary for Security Chan Tsz King, and Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raymond Tam Vai Man.
The ceremony was also attended by Tong Hio Fong, the prosecutor-general (chief public prosecutor) of the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), as well as judges, prosecutors, and other senior representatives of Macau’s legal sector.
Following the ceremony, the dignitaries toured facilities in the new Court of Final Appeal Building, including courtrooms, meeting rooms, and the library.
The statement noted that the site where the new Court of Final Appeal complex is located covers 3,524 square metres.
The renovated edifice covers a gross floor area of 4,855 square metres, with three storeys plus a one-floor basement, while the new building on Rua Central covers a gross floor area of 6,538 square metres, with three storeys plus a two-floor basement. Consequently, the whole complex covers a gross floor area of 11,393 square metres, the statement said.
Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai (right) and Court of Final Appeal (TUI) President Song Man Lei unveil the inaugural plaque of the newly named Court of Final Appeal Building, previously known as the Old Courthouse, on Avenida da Praia Grande yesterday. – Photo: TUI
Vehicles drive past the newly named Court of Final Appeal Building in Nam Van yesterday. – Photo: Tony Wong
