Monumental Welsh Women exhibition opens at the Royal Courts of Justice
A new exhibition spotlighting five pioneering Welsh women has opened at the Royal Courts of Justice as part of an ongoing initiative to use the Great Hall as a law-related exhibition space.
Monumental Welsh Women is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to recognising the contribution of women to the history and life of Wales. Founded in 2016, the group’s mission was to erect the first five public statues of notable Welsh women in different locations around Wales.
This exhibition celebrates the unveiling of the first four statues: Betty Campbell MBE, Wales’ first black headteacher, in Cardiff; Elaine Morgan, one of the first women television screenwriters, in Mountain Ash; Cranogwen, a notable writer and poet, in Llangrannog; and Lady Rhondda, who was imprisoned for her suffragette activities, in Newport. The final statue, commemorating activist Elizabeth Andrews, will be erected in the Rhondda in June 2026.
The banner exhibition – located in the Great Hall – is dedicated to the unveiling of each statue and details the lives and accomplishments of each woman.
On Wednesday 13 May a short reception was hosted by the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, The Right Honourable the Baroness Carr of Walton on-the-Hill, to open the exhibition, with members of the Welsh judiciary and volunteers from the charity in attendance.
Speaking to attendees at the event, the Lady Chief Justice said:
“I hope that this exhibition serves to bring your brilliant work to an even wider audience, and it gives us all food for thought on the many ways in which Welsh women have pioneered real change across history.”
All individuals who work in the Royal Courts of Justice – as well as visiting judges, court users and members of the public – are invited to view and enjoy the exhibition, which will run until 31 July.