It was built on reclaimed land, and opened on January 15, 1912. The two-storey granite building is neo-classical in style supported by Ionic columns. It is surmounted by a blind-folded statue of Justice, represented by the Greek goddess Themis. This statue is a replica of the one erected on the Old Bailey of London. It was a left-over from the former Supreme Court.
In 1985, the judicial branch moved to the new Supreme Court Building. The old building was given to the Legislative Council and was renamed the Legislative Council Building.
The members of the SupremeCourt are appointed by the president, but must be chosen from a list of five choices which is prepared by the sitting members of the court.
In March 2005, it reversed a lower court's decision stripping Pinochet of immunity in the case of the assassination of Carlos Prats.
In 2004, it confirmed a lower court's decision that stripped former judge Karen Atala of custody of her three daughters because she is a lesbian.
The Court consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed with the "advice and consent" of the Senate.
The SupremeCourt was established by the Constitution of the United States, which was implemented in 1789; under the Judiciary Act of 1789, the Court was to be composed of six members—though the number of justices has been nine for almost all of its history, this number is set by Congress, not the Constitution.
SupremeCourtbuilding in Washington, D.C. After the federal government was established in Washington, the court was housed in a small, basement room in the United States Capitol (see W. Rehnquist, The SupremeCourt).
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