Thomas More building
The Thomas More building at the Court of Justice of the European Union is named after Sir Thomas More – a lawyer, judge and philosopher who advocated for justice and remained steadfast in his beliefs. Inaugurated in 1993, it houses the Judges and Registry of the General Court, along with two courtrooms and a conference room.
Who was Thomas More?
Thomas More (1478-1535) was a lawyer, professor of law, and later a judge, before embarking on a distinguished political career in England under the reign of Henry VIII. This led him to the highest office in the kingdom, that of Lord Chancellor. Disapproving of the sovereign's desire to obtain an annulment of his marriage and the resulting schism with Rome, Sir Thomas More never renounced his beliefs and was eventually convicted of treason and beheaded. A close friend of Erasmus, he is remembered as a philosopher and political essayist, although he was also a historian, translator and poet. The author of a prolific body of work, a scholar and a philanthropist, he denounced tyranny and injustice towards the most disadvantaged and his views were fully in line with the renewal that characterised Renaissance humanism, of which he was one of the most illustrious representatives.
The Thomas More building and its role at the Court
By choosing the name “Thomas More”, the Court of Justice of the European Union honours the memory of a great European humanist, recognising his integrity and the strength of his convictions against any infringement of freedoms.
The Thomas More building, as the second extension of the Palais, was inaugurated in 1993. It is arranged around four patios and located at the western end of the Erasmus building. The façade of the foyer is designed as a huge, horizontal glazed curve that links the neighbouring Erasmus and Themis buildings. The building is made of steel and concrete, and has a modular framework. The building’s façades are made of granite and glazed aluminium.
Today, the Thomas More building is home to the Judges and the Registry of the General Court. It also houses two courtrooms – the Blue Courtroom and Green Courtroom – and a conference room.
