Former Kowloon Magistracy

The former Kowloon Magistracy is a historic building and former Magistrate's and District Court in Hong Kong, located at No. 38 Gascoigne Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon.

Old South Kowloon District Court Building
前南九龍裁判法院
Facade of the former Kowloon Magistracy in Gascoigne Road.
General information
Type	Courthouse
Location	Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon
Address	38 Gascoigne Road
Country	Hong Kong
Completed	1933
Designations
Hong Kong Graded Building – Grade I
Designated	18 December 2009
Reference no.	128

Former Kowloon Magistracy
Traditional Chinese	前南九龍裁判法院
Simplified Chinese	前南九龙裁判法院
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Qián Nán Jiǔlóng Cáipàn Fǎyuàn Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Chìhn nàahm gáu lùhng chòih pun faat yún Jyutping Cin4 naam4 gau2 lung4 coi4 pun3 faat3 jyun6*2

History

Constructed under the direction of Director of Public Works Richard McNeil Henderson in 1933,^[1] the building housed a court handling minor criminal cases at magistrate's level. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, it served as the Kowloon headquarters of the Kempeitai.^[2] It later served as the Kowloon District Court which was renamed in 1957 the South Kowloon District Court. After the opening of the North Kowloon Magistracy in 1960, some cases were diverted there. The South Kowloon District Court remained in use as a district court until 1986 when it became the Judiciary Central File Repository. It has served as the Lands Tribunal (土地審裁處) since 1997 and accommodates five courts.^[3]

The South Kowloon Magistracy moved to a building next door (36 Gascoigne Road) where it operated until final closure in 2000.^[4]

Conservation

The former Kowloon Magistracy was listed as a Grade II historic building^[5] in 1992^[3] and upgraded to Grade I in 2009.^[6]