Colonial Era

Building constructed in 1960, with two floors and several compartments, located in the urban center of the city. It belongs to the National Bank of Angola, previously known as the National Overseas Bank of Angola and from 1975, Bank of Angola.

For decades, it functioned as one of the central and issuing bank branches, assisting in the exercise of functions to preserve the value of the national currency and participate in defining monetary, financial and exchange policies.

On September 17, 2020, the BNA represented by the then Vice-Governor, Mr. Dr. Manuel A. Tiago Dias, proceeded to deliver the property to the Supreme Court, represented by the Venerable Judge Counselor, Dr. Cristino Molares de Abril, as Vice-President of the Supreme Court and the Superior Council of Judicial Magistracy.

The Creation of TRB

By Internal Order No. 064/2020 of September 16 of the CSMJ, Mrs. Dr. Solange de Castro Soares, Judge of the Court of Appeals, was appointed as coordinator of the Installation Commission of the Court of Appeals of Benguela (CITRB), who in turn, appointed Messrs. Drs. Adelino Tupita, Adjami Vital, Alexandrina dos Santos, Lisandra Manuel, Luísa Quinta, Osvaldo Luacuti and Sónia Duarte to be part of said commission.

After the formal delivery of the building to the Venerable Judge Counselor, Mr. Dr. Cristino Molares de Abril, he passed it to the coordinator of the Justice Reform Implementation Commission (CIRJ), the Venerable Judge Counselor of the Supreme Court, Mrs. Dr. Maria Teresa Marçal, who in turn, assigned it to the commission.

Upon receipt of the building, the members of CITRB, divided into four groups, began arduous work to create the necessary conditions for the maintenance, security and inauguration of the court, which remained under their aegis, until the election of the President and Vice-President of TRB (12.03.2021) and their respective inauguration (07.07.2021).

The Inauguration

Inaugurated around 10:00 AM on October 10, 2020, by His Excellency Minister of State and Chief of the Civil House of the President of the Republic, Mr. Dr. Adão de Almeida.

The activity took place during the pandemic period, with a restricted number of people, and the inaugural activity program featured: the ribbon cutting, the unveiling of the plaque, the guided tour of the facilities and finally, the signing of the protocol and formal delivery of the keys by the Secretary of State for Justice and Human Rights, Mr. Dr. Orlando Fernandes to the Venerable Judge Counselor President of the Supreme Court and the Superior Council of Judicial Magistracy, Mr. Dr. Joel Leonardo.

TRB is one of the first Courts of Appeals in Angola, in the post-colonial context, where exercising the law, administering justice and contributing to the realization of the rule of law, rights, freedoms and guarantees is pressing, for the realization of the pillar of justice, which constitutes, alongside development, the last stage of the process of consolidating constitutional aspirations.

Composition

TRB consists of 22 Appeal Court Judges: one President, eleven Judges assigned to the Criminal Chamber, among which the Vice-President who also exercises the function of President of the same Chamber and ten Judges placed in the Civil, Tax, Customs, Administrative, Labor, Family, Minors and Succession Chamber. Both Chambers are divided into two Sections.