A brief history of the Court Houses of Hongkong might be given here. We find in the old chronicles that building of a Court House on the site of the present Masonic Hall in Zetland Street was commenced in 1841 It was not until three years later (a matter for complaint at the time) that a Supreme Court was opened in premises in Wellington Street on October 1, 1844, the event being accompanied by the customary pomp and ceremony.
This old building has probably since been pulled down. It was in use until 1848, when the Supreme Court was moved to what was then known as Exchange Building, in Queen's Road, where China Building now stands.
It might not be out of place to note that the first Barrister admitted to practice at the Supreme Court was Mr Henry Charles Sirr, who had been called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1833. He was admitted on the date of the opening of the Court, but had to share the distinction with the first attorney General of the Colony: Mr. Paul Ivy Sterling, who had been called to the Irish Bar in 1829
In February 1848,it was removed into the much more commodious buildings in Queen's Road. Its former location, where so many noteworthy incidents had taken place, was soon put to quite-a different purpose, and as Mr. Norton-Kyshe tells us in his Valuable work, the History of the Laws and Courts of Hongkong, " the Irishmen of the place celebrated St. Patrick's Day by giving a public dance in the hall of the Old Court House: a worthy manner of washing off the many sorrows that had been enacted in the place
Source: Old Hong Kong by Colonial Vol 1