Attendees of the Sept. 10, 2008, opening ceremony gather outside the Rusafa Justice Palace. USACE photo by Kendal Smith.

With a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Prime Minister Maliki officially opened the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-built $11.3 million new-construction facility.  Members of the Higher Judicial Council and judicial members, Coalition forces, security teams and more than 30 international media crowded the central courtroom to overflowing to listen to the Iraqi judicial officers in the Justice Palace.

Prayers from the Koran and a moment of silence in the courtroom for all those judges and judicial workers who have been killed in past years under Saddam and during the turmoil of the past years led off the array of speakers.

Iraqi Chief Justice Medhat referred to the importance of the Justice Palace in establishing the rule of law in Iraq.  Medhat gave thanks to the Coalition forces and a special recognition to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the workmanship and diligence.

Serving approximately 1.2 million people of the Rusafa Qada and adjacent areas east of the Tigris River, the Central District (GRC), Gulf Region Division, project was completed by the GRC's Loyalty Resident Office.

Built by local Iraqi construction companies with quality assurance by the Loyalty RO, the compound consists of a court house, a witness security facility and 16 additional structures for security, maintenance and concessions.

Courtrooms, offices and conference rooms for the High Judicial Council of Iraq are located in the two-story 10,200 square meter Court House. Secure, apartment-style living quarters for approximately 150 witnesses, and offices for the judges and other legal advisers are located in the 4,000 square-meter Witness Security Facility. The two buildings are joined by an enclosed corridor that allows witnesses and court officials to move between the facilities without exposure to danger. This structure is based on a generic courthouse design which serves as the model for all other new courthouse construction throughout Iraq.

The compound also includes closed circuit television, security cameras and an outer force protection wall with an entry control point and secure parking.  Additional security measures include walk-thru metal detectors, ion detectors and X-ray machines.

This is rightly called the Palace of Justice, said U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker.  "It was built by Iraqis for Iraqis.  But as great as this building is, what it will be used for is even greater.  Because it is in this palace that the common man will receive justice," he said. Crocker went on to thank all those involved in the heroic efforts to bring justice to Iraq.

"It was wonderful to have all the dignitaries and General Petraeus recognize the work it's taken to get this enormous project completed," summed up Loyalty Resident Office Engineer Derrick Mitchell. "Having been through this project's trials and tough times over all 22 months of construction, it's a beautiful thing to see it today."