Palace of Justice

Palace of Justice may refer to:

Palais de Justice, Brussels

The Palace of Justice (French: Palais de Justice, Dutch:  Justitiepaleis ) or Law Courts of Brussels is the most important court building in Belgium and the biggest courthouse in the world.

It was built between 1866 and 1883 in the eclectic style by the celebrated architect Joseph Poelaert. The total cost of the construction, land and furnishings was somewhere in the region of 45 million Belgian francs. It is reputed to be the largest building constructed in the 19th century. Is a notable landmark of Brussels.

History

Inception

In 1860, during the reign of Leopold I, a Royal decree announced the building of the Palace of Justice and an international architecture contest was organised for its design. The designs entered in the contest were found to be unacceptable and were thus rejected. The then minister of justice Tesch appointed Joseph Poelaert to design the building in 1861. The first stone was laid on October 31, 1866, and the building was inaugurated on October 15, 1883, four years after Poelaert's death in 1879.