Having been duly instructed about the Temple of Law in history and its evolution as the natural ancestor of the Supreme Court and the American judicial system, one enters the building itself and becomes enveloped in the rich neo-classical decoration that lends an august aura to the judicial work being conducted. The overall decoration was probably designed as a reminder of the original court chamber in the Capitol whcih had caused considerable controversy in the initial deliberations about the construction of a separate Supreme Court building. This decoration includes important reliefs, executed by Adolph Weinman, a member of the Fine Arts Commission, whom I mentioned before in connection with the medallions. These reliefs reinforced the exterior iconographical plan by, again, confirming the role of justice in Western tradition.
 
 

Across the street from the magnificent Capitol Building, stands an equally awe inspiring structure with the inscription "Equal Justice Under Law" carved into the frieze.  This is home of one of the three branches of the US government; the judicial branch. But for the Supreme Court Justices, this is a relatively new home. The Supreme Court was established by the US Constitution and created in 1790, and from its inception, the Court had always shared the US Capitol Building with the US Congress (if you visit the Capitol, you can still observe the first Supreme Court chambers). Through the efforts of William H. Taft, the 27th President of the US, and later, but just as importantly, Chief Justice of the US, in 1935, the Supreme Court moved from the Capitol to its own headquarters. The Supreme Court, which consists of one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices, is the highest court in America. Each year, more than 7,000 different petitions will be sent for their review, but the Court will listen to oral arguments on about only 120 of those petitions. If you're visiting in Washington, DC from the 2nd week in October until the end of April or beginning of May, you might be able to sit and observe the Justices reviewing a case. Every other week, when the Justices are hearing oral arguments, the public is permitted to sit in the gallery and follow the trial. If the court is not hearing arguments when you're in Washington, you'll still be able to enjoy a lecture tour or simply walk around the exhibit halls on your own.

Read Washington Post article on this image issue?

Read ICNA/CARE's Protest Note?
 
 

Some useful Links:

Ali Sina's Freethinking Web Site

Ebn Warraq's Secularism Web Site