The Court of Final Appeal (TUI) will be relocated to the Old Courthouse in the city centre next Monday, according to a TUI statement yesterday.
Currently, the Court of Final Appeal shares a building with the Court of Second Instance (TSI) in the Nam Van Lake district.
The building has been in operation since the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) on December 20, 1999. The building, officially known as the Court of Final Appeal and Court of Second Instance Building, is situated next to the Legislative Assembly (AL) building.
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.
According to yesterday’s statement, the new address of the Court of Final Appeal is Avenida da Praia Grande No. 459. While the phone number will change to 8298 4117 from 8398 4117, the fax number will remain unchanged at 2832 6744.
The new address of the office of the president of the Court of Final Appeal is Rua Central No. 9-A. While the phone number will change to 8298 4136 from 8398 4136, the fax number will remain unchanged at 2896 9225, according to the statement.
The three-judge Court of Final Appeal will be relocated from its current premises in the Nam Van Lake district to the new complex in the city centre on Monday next week. The new complex consists 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 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.
The project for the new Court of Final Appeal complex, which was completed in February this year, kept the whole structure of the Old Courthouse intact, consolidated its structure, and renovated its interior, including the reorganisation of its internal layout.
The façade of the former PJ headquarters on Rua do Padre Luís Fróis S.J., and its east-section façade on Rua Central, were kept intact, while the remaining part of the former PJ headquarters was demolished, where the new building, with three storeys plus a one-floor basement, was constructed.
Rua do Padre Luís Fróis S.J. is the short alley between Rua Central and the Old Courthouse on Avenida da Praia Grande.
The project was executed through two separate tenders. The first phase comprised the demolition of the former PJ headquarters, and the new building’s pile foundation and basement. It was carried out by Soi Kun Engineering Company Limited for 56 million patacas.
The second phase comprised the consolidation of the Old Courthouse’s structure, the renovation of its interior, and the new building’s superstructure. It was carried out by Tat Cheong Construction & Engineering Company Limited for 235 million patacas.
Consequently, the project cost 291 million patacas in total.
After the top court’s relocation to its new premises in the city centre, the current building in the Nam Van Lake district will continue to be used by the Court of Second Instance. A new building is being constructed next to this building. After the new building’s scheduled completion in January next year, these two buildings, connected to each other, will be used by the Court of Second Instance.
Cars are driven past the Old Courthouse in Nam Van yesterday. – Photos: Tony Wong
A taxi drives past the newly constructed building on Rua Central, part of the new Court of Final Appeal (TUI) complex, in April. A part of the façade of the former Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters has been kept intact (left).
