The Palace of Justice of Colombia ( es, Palacio de Justicia de Colombia) is a building located in Bolívar Square in the city of Bogotá, seat and symbol of the Judiciary of Colombia.

History

Throughout the

history of Colombia The history of Colombia includes the settlements and society by indigenous peoples, most notably, the Muisca Confederation, Quimbaya Civilization, and Tairona Chiefdoms; the Spanish arrived in 1492 and initiated a period of annexation and coloni ...

there have been three buildings that have served as headquarters for the Palace of Justice. The first was a neoclassical building designed by the architect Pablo de la Cruz, located on Calle 11 at Carrera 6 and operated since the 1920s. The building was destroyed by a fire during the riots of 9 April 1948, known as the

Bogotazo El Bogotazo (from "Bogotá" and the ''-azo'' suffix of violent augmentation) refers to the massive riots that followed the assassination in Bogotá, Colombia of Liberal leader and presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán on 9 April 194 ...

after the assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán. The building that replaced this one was designed by the architect Roberto Londoño in the 1960s, of modernist tendency with neoclassical elements. It was located in Bolívar Square and was destroyed on 6 November 1985 as a result of the capture by the M-19 guerrillas and the retaking of the palace by the army. After the destruction of the Palace, the surviving magistrates, headed by Fernando Uribe Restrepo, worked from uncomfortable facilities of the

Banco de la República The Bank of the Republic ( es, Banco de la República) is the central bank of Colombia. It was initially established under the regeneration era in 1880. Its main modern functions, under the new Colombian constitution were detailed by Congress ...

, then in the Bank of the Republic building (Carrera 7 and Calle 27 in Bogotá) and then in a building in the north of Bogotá until the inauguration of the majestic new building, located in the same place as the one destroyed in 1985 and designed by the same architect, Londoño. The building houses the

Supreme Court of Justice A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

, the

Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ...

, the

Council of State A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...

and the Supreme Judicial Council since 2004. At the entrance is the only piece of the old structure: a plaque with a phrase of General

Francisco de Paula Santander Francisco José de Paula Santander y Omaña (Villa del Rosario, Norte de Santander, Colombia, April 2, 1792 – Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia, May 6, 1840), was a Colombian military and political leader during the 1810–1819 independe ...

: ''Colombianos las armas os han dado la independencia, las leyes os darán la libertad'' (Colombians, guns have given you independence, laws will give you freedom). It is named after Alfonso Reyes Echandía.

References

{{Coord, 4.5989, -74.0756, type:landmark_region:CO, display=title Palaces in Colombia Buildings and structures in Bogotá Judiciary of Colombia Courthouses Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia