Palace of Justice, Riga

The Palace of Justice is a set of courthouses and administrative buildings in Riga. It is the location of sittings of the Supreme Court of Latvia, of the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia and the headquarters of the Ministry of Justice.

History

Between 1918 and 1940 the highest judicial power in Latvia was the Senate of Latvia. The first section of the building was constructed between 1936 and 1938 as a new home for the Senate and the Ministry of Justice under the authoritarian regime of Kārlis Ulmanis. The foundation stone was laid by War Minister Jānis Balodis and it was officially opened by Justice Minister Hermanis Apsītis. The building was not completed in full before the Second World War. The wing which today accommodates the Supreme Court was constructed during the Stalinist era.

During the alternating Nazi and Soviet occupations the building was home to the Reich Commissariat and the Latvian SSR Council of Ministers. Since the 1990s the usual meeting place of the Cabinet of Latvia has been the old Senate chamber.

The building is located on Brīvības bulvāris at the triangular intersection of Elizabetes iela, Tērbatas iela and Brīvības. Next door is the Riga Regional Court.