The inscription reads:
"Defend the children of the poor and punish the wrongdoer".
The whole Psalm 72 reads, with the relevant part in line 4:
"Psalm 72. Deus, judicium.
GIVE the King thy judgments, O God, * and thy righteousness unto the King's son.
2 Then shall he judge thy people according unto right, * and defend the poor.
3 The mountains also shall bring peace, * and the little hills righteousness unto the people.
4 He shall keep the simple folk by their right, * defend the children of the poor, and punish the wrong doer.
5 They shall fear thee, as long as the sun and moon endureth, * from one generation to another.
6 He shall come down like the rain upon the mown grass, * even as the drops that water the earth.
7 In his time shall the righteous flourish; * yea, and abundance of peace, so long as the moon endureth.
8 His dominion shall be also from the one sea to the other, * and from the River unto the world's end.
9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall kneel before him; * his enemies shall lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall give presents; * the kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring gifts.
11 All kings shall fall down before him; * all nations shall do him service.
12 For he shall deliver the poor when he crieth; * the needy also, and him that hath no helper.
13 He shall be favourable to the simple and needy, * and shall preserve the souls of the poor.
14 He shall deliver their souls from falsehood and wrong; * and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
15 He shall live, and unto him shall be given of the gold of Arabia; * prayer shall be made ever unto him, and daily shall he be praised.
16 There shall be an heap of corn in the earth, high upon the hills ; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: * and they of the city shall flourish like grass upon the earth.
17 His Name shall endure for ever; his Name shall remain under the sun among the posterities, which shall be blessed in him; * and all the nations shall praise him.
18 Blessed be the LORD God, even the God of Israel, * which only doeth wondrous things;
19 And blessed be the Name of his majesty for ever: * and all the earth shall be filled with his majesty. Amen, Amen. "
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The current building.
As trials lengthened and the number of those seeking to watch increased in the late nineteenth century the courthouse building became increasingly inadequate. In 1877 a fire forced the City of London to act and proposals were drawn up for a new building. Owing to the dilapidation of Newgate Prison next door, which by the 1860s no longer held long-term prisoners, it was decided to pull down both buildings to make room for a larger building.
After many delays, the new building, designed in the neo-Baroque style by E. W. Mountford and built at a cost of £392,277, was finally opened by King Edward VII in 1907. It was lavishly fitted out and adorned with symbolic reminders to the public of its virtuous purpose. On top of the 67 foot high dome a 12 foot gold leaf statue was placed of a “lady of justice” holding a sword in one hand and the scales of justice in the other; she is not, as is conventional with such figures, blindfolded. Over the main entrance to the building figures were placed representing fortitude, the recording angel, and truth, along with the carved inscription, “defend the children of the poor and punish the wrongdoer”.
The exterior was faced in Portland stone, while the interior lobbies and a monumental staircase had Sicilian marble floors, allegorical paintings representing Labour, Art, Wisdom, and Truth, and ornate mosaic arches. The four oak-pannelled courtrooms contained space for all those who needed to attend modern trials, including solicitors and barristers, court reporters, the press (who by now were the most important conduit to the public for information about trials), and spectators. Each courtroom had a spacious dock, enclosed by low partitions, for the defendants, with a staircase leading directly below to the holding cells. There were now separate rooms for male and female witnesses, and another for witnesses of “the better class”. Lawyers also had their own room, as did barristers’ clerks; the latter included a glass wall to ensure they did not engage in malpractices such as touting for business among prisoners and their associates. As in the previous building, there was an opulently appointed dining room for the judges.
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