<P> In the 1950s, Prime Minister Robert Menzies established a plan to develop Canberra and construct other important national buildings . A 1959 plan featured a new building for the High Court on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin, next to the location for the new Parliament House and the National Library of Australia . This plan was abandoned in 1968 and the location of the Parliament was moved, later settling on the present site on Capital Hill . </P> <P> In March 1968, the government announced that the court would move to Canberra . In 1972 an international competition was held attracting 158 entries . In 1973 the firm of Edwards Madigan Torzillo Briggs was declared the winner of the two - stage competition . Architect Chris Kringas was the Principal Designer and Director in charge working with Feiko Bouman . In March 1975, only one month before construction began, Kringas died, aged 38 . Following his death, Feiko Bouman, Hans Marelli and Colin Madigan supervised the construction of the design . The constructed building is largely identical to the 1973 competition design . </P> <P> Construction began in April 1975 on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin, in the Parliamentary Triangle . The site is just to the east of the axis running between Capital Hill and the Australian War Memorial . The High Court building houses three courtrooms, Justices' chambers, and the Court's main registry, library, and corporate services facilities . It is an unusual and distinctive structure, built in the brutalist style, and features an immense public atrium with a 24 - metre - high roof . The neighbouring National Gallery was also designed by the firm of Edwards Madigan Torzillo and Briggs . There are similarities between the two buildings in material and style but significant differences in architectural form and spatial concept . The building was completed in 1980 and the majority of the court's sittings have been held in Canberra since then . </P> <P> The High Court and the National Gallery Precinct were added to the Australian National Heritage List in November 2007 . </P>

How many courtrooms does the high court have