With the restoration of Timor-Leste's independence on 20 May 2002, the Constitution became valid, which in section 124 calls for the creation of a Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, on 21 June 2007, Timor-Leste witnessed the swearing-in of the first group of twenty-seven national judges, prosecutors, and public defenders, graduates of the legal training center in Caicoli, as well as permanent agents of sovereign bodies and a special representative of the UN Secretary General.

[2] First, the Coordination Council oversaw the UNDP Justice Strengthening Programme's implementation, which trained public defenders and national judicial groups (which included the minister of justice, the president of the Court of Appeal and the public prosecutor-general).

The programme had the support of the governments of Australia, Brazil, United States of America, Ireland, Norway, Portugal and Sweden.

[1] Article 125 of the Constitution states that the Supreme Court shall consist of career judges or magistrates of the Public Prosecution or jurists of recognised merit.