Commercial Court 125 anniversary exhibition
The exhibition on the 3rd floor of the Rolls Building celebrates the work of the Commercial Court. The Court emerged in response to demands by the business community – led by the City of London – for a purpose driven court with specialist judges to avoid the delays and unreliable judgments which were felt to afflict the courts of the time. The first Commercial Court list was on 1 March 1895 under the ‘Notice as to Commercial Causes’. The Court started with a single judge: J.C. Mathew. It is currently staffed by 12 judges of the King’s Bench Division of the High Court and the Judge in Charge of the London Circuit Commercial Court.
The first judge of the Commercial Court, J.C.Mathew.
The exhibition features:
- The official portrait photograph of the first judge of the Commercial Court, J.C. Mathew (later Mathew LJ) and a facsimile of the original “Notice as to Commercial Cases” which brought the Court into being.
- Portraits and short biographies of a number of the Commercial Court’s most distinguished judges, including Lord Wright MR, Viscount Sankey LC and Lord Bingham MR.
- A display explaining the backdrop to the creation of the Court, and its forerunner – a court held in the heart of the City to dispense justice in a businesslike fashion.
- A display featuring artefacts from one of the most famous judges of the Commercial Court, Scrutton LJ – author of the key commercial legal text “Scrutton on Charterparties” and also the judge who tried the famous “Brides in the Bath” murder case.
- A display outlining the different phases of the history of the Court, by reference to key cases and incidents in particular periods.
Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and Mrs Justice Cockerill.
TCC 150 Exhibition
The Technology and Construction Court celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 2023. The RBAET sponsored an exhibition on the second floor of the Rolls Building marking this milestone. The TCC150 exhibition opened on Thursday 16 March 2023 with an accompanying programme of lectures and events exploring aspects of the work of the court, held at venues in London, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester. The exhibition remained in place until the end of the 2023 Michaelmas Term.
Accumulate photographic exhibition
An exhibition of five photographs taken by students of the Accumulate Arts School were exhibited on the second floor of the Rolls Building from May 2024 until March 2025. The photographs were selected for display from an entry of 67 images. Accumulate is an Art School for the Homeless, the first of its kind. It is based in London and provides art school level tuition by professional tutors for participants from hostels from all over the capital.
The Law Society’s Art Group 2021 Exhibition at the Rolls Building
The RBAET was pleased to support the Law Society’s Art Group’s first exhibition at the Rolls Building, which ran from 5 July 2021 until 21 December 2021. The 25 works were displayed on the 2nd floor of the Rolls Building and two – by Errol Neil and Clive Sayer respectively – were chosen by The Right Honourable Sir Julian Flaux, Chancellor of the High Court and RBAET Trustee, as the recipients of the £50 prizes funded for LSAG by Radcliffe Chambers. Most of the works were available for sale and, whilst pandemic restrictions limited footfall, the RBAET nevertheless received £171 as commission on sales.
Sir Julian Flaux with Pey Kan Su, LSAG Chair, next to the prize winning ‘Art Student’ by Errol Neil
The Law Society’s Art Group 62nd Annual Exhibition
Following their inaugural exhibition at the Rolls Building in 2021, the RBAET was delighted to host the Law Society’s Art Group (LSAG) 62nd Annual Exhibition at the home of the Business and Property Courts. The exhibition opened on 20 June 2022 and ran to 21 December 2022 showcasing art works by 23 artist members of the LSAG. LSAG received sponsorship from Radcliffe Chambers to award prizes for works provided by three of the artists – Hanna Ihsan, Errol Neill and Clive Sayer – chosen by the Right Honourable Sir Julian Flaux, Chancellor of the High Court and RBAET Trustee. Most of the artworks on display were available for sale and the RBAET received a commission on works that were sold.
Wendy Brooke-Smith
Wendy Brooke-Smith is a figurative artist inspired by transience and human intervention in the landscape, with a particular interest in the changing London skyline and the Thames. She first displayed her work at the Rolls Building in 2013. Her subject matter ranged from container ports to building sites to quiet corners of the River Thames, and resonated with the work of the High Court jurisdictions based at the Rolls Building.
Isle of Dogs Eastward
The RBAET received a commission on sales that assisted the Trust in funding the development of its pilot educational programme. Wendy kindly left one of her paintings on open-ended loan to the Trust. The painting, a black and white aerial view of a construction site during the redevelopment of Ipswich Waterfront, can be seen on the 3rd floor.
Thames Wharf (Aerial)
Wendy again exhibited her work at the Rolls Building in 2017 with a collection of paintings and charcoal drawings presenting viewpoints of the Thames towards Canary Wharf. Again, the Trust received a commission on sales and has itself acquired a number of the paintings. These are on permanent display on the 3rd floor. Wendy continues to develop her career with corporate commissions and successful solo exhibitions in London.
Website: www.wendybrooke-smith.com