Unassuming but steeped in history - The Great Western Building where Bombay High Court first sat

Most Mumbaikars would be familiar with the iconic building that houses the Bombay High Court..The sprawling structure in South Mumbai adjacent to Oval maidan and close to Churchgate railway station is one of the many landmarks of Mumbai.However, few would know this was not the building from which the Bombay High Court, the second oldest in the country, started functioning. .The Bombay High Court first sat from a seemingly unremarkable building facing the dockyard - Great Western Building.The building, which looks like any regular office building in south Mumbai, is now separated from the dockyard by tall, white washed walls..What is significant about this unexceptional structure is that it was the residence for the highest naval officer of the British Navy and also housed various courts from mid 18th century including the Bombay High Court when it was established in 1862. The Great Western Building was owned by William Hornby, a former Governor of Bombay (1771 to 1784).It was called 'Hornby House' before the building was given to the Admiral of the Royal Navy as his residence..The building then came to be known as 'Admiralty House' since the Admiral of the Royal Navy resided in that house between 1764 till 1792.In the year 1800, it became the Court of First Recorder of Bombay..A recorder was a judicial authority of the court, a king's judge; unlike the judges of the earlier courts who were the servants of the East India Company. The Court of First Recorder functioned for 26 years until the year 1824. Thereafter, under a charter of 1823, a Supreme Court was established in Bombay Presidency which started functioning from the Great Western Building.The Supreme Court consisted of a Chief Justice and two Judges, being Barristers of England or Ireland of not less than five years' standing. .An interesting incident took place during this time. Sir Edward West, a former recorder, was appointed the Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Bombay.Sir West had long been trying to secure judicial independence from executive dominance. Things took an interesting turn when Sir John Malcolm, the then Governor of Bombay, issued an order that a writ of the Supreme Court would not be executed. Shortly after such an executive order, Sir West died. However, the other remaining judge, Sir John Peter Grant issued a fresh writ, which was not obeyed..In response, Sir Grant took the extreme step of closing the Supreme Court and its offices. The functions of the Court remained suspended for as long as five months, until a new Chief Justice was appointed. Grant then resigned and sailed for England. As recorded in the Centenary High Court of Bombay (1862-1962), Sir Grant received a warm farewell from the citizens of Bombay for the courageous stand he had taken. .Meanwhile, in 1861, the British Parliament enacted the Indian High Courts Acts, a watershed moment. This Act abolished the Supreme Court, the Sadur Diwani and Fouzdari Adalats and vested their original and appellate jurisdiction with a new court - the Bombay High Court. The High Court was to consist of the Chief Justice and 15 judges. On June 26, 1862, Letters Patent were issued which designated Sir Mathew Richard Sausse as the first Chief Justice of the High Court and also named five other judges. The High Court came into existence without any pomp and pageantry when on August 14, 1862, the judges took oath in the presence of the Bar and the public declaring that they would sit as judges of the High Court..The construction of the present building of the High Court commenced on April 1, 1871. It took seven years and more that ₹16.4 lakh to complete the construction.In 1879, the High Court shifted to the present building where it continues to function till date. .After High Court shifted to the present building, the Great Western Building was transformed into a hotel called the "Great Western Hotel". Later, the hotel was then shut down and the property was divided into smaller spaces for rentals to tenants and commercial places