in the 1910s As
Penang Island, then named the
Prince of Wales Island, flourished into a strategic
entrepôt with a growing immigrant population, Captain
Francis Light sought the advice of the Governor-General in
India on establishing a judicial authority within the new settlement. The Supreme Court of Penang was opened at
Fort Cornwallis,
George Town on 31 May 1808. In 1809, the Supreme Court of Penang was shifted a short distance away to its current grounds at
Light Street. The original court building was of wooden construction, topped by an attap roof. The present
Palladian-style courthouse, designed by John Henry McCallum, the Surveyor-General of the
Straits Settlements, was inaugurated in 1903. Its construction cost
$206,678 (
Straits dollar). The
Palladian architecture is obvious from the courthouse's domed chamber and columns. There were originally statues and emblems on the building as well, although these have since been removed. , which was created to commemorate a Scottish lawyer who fought for Asian rights in colonial
Penang, has been placed in front of the new Sessions Court, just opposite the High Court. Until the end of the 20th century, the Penang High Court was the scene of some of
Malaysia's firsts in the legal field. Additional courthouses were also built across
Light Street; these now house the Magistrates and Sessions Court for the
Northeast Penang Island District. == See also ==