New free exhibition opens at National Justice Museum

A new free exhibition is opening at the National Justice Museum in Nottingham on Monday 28 July, celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the iconic Nottingham attraction with a collection of 30 unique artefacts from the museum’s vast archives.

Chosen by staff and the communities they work with, 30 Objects Representing Justice invites you to explore what justice looks like through a powerful selection of artifacts from the National Justice Museum’s collection. Spanning over 800 years, the objects range from the everyday to the extraordinary: a 1790 lease listing enslaved Africans, leather handcuffs used on women, and a half-used bottle of brandy given to those awaiting execution. Some objects have never been on display to the public before.

Each object offers a window into a particular moment in the history of justice, revealing how ideas of power, law, resistance, and humanity have intersected. Some highlight who holds authority and who is excluded from justice, while others reflect compassion, reform, and the efforts of communities to challenge injustice.

This exhibition explores justice through legal, social, and cultural lenses showing how its meaning has continually evolved and remains contested today. Stories of marginalised voices, inequality, and resilience sit beside symbols of state control and protest.

The Museum worked with community partners throughout the research and development of the exhibition, allowing for considered and authentic perspectives on the historic and sensitive items. These partners included Refugee Roots, Angolan Women Voice and Angolan Men Voice, The Legacy Makers, Nottingham Women’s Centre, Writers East Midlands, and Stone Soup. Throughout the exhibition, you will encounter powerful creative interpretations of justice past, present, and imagined for the future.

The museum has also commissioned Márcia Porto to create original pieces inspired by the exhibition. A Brazilian artist based in Nottingham, Márcia uses an interdisciplinary practice, spanning painting, performance, and installation, to create symbolic, ritualistic spaces for reflection. Her work explores themes of gender, identity, pain, and environmental vulnerability. Márcia has worked closely and compassionately with our community partners, creating original responses to the exhibition’s themes.

Aimee Wilkinson, Head of Creative Programmes at the National Justice Museum said, “At the heart of 30 Objects Representing Justice is the belief that justice is not fixed, it is shaped by people, experiences, and the courage to question power. This exhibition reflects the richness of that collective journey through our unique collection and the voices of our community partners. Together, we explore multiple perspectives and ask: who holds the power to define justice?

"Each object invites us to confront difficult truths, recognise overlooked voices, and imagine a more just future. We’ve also been privileged to work with artist-in-residence Marcia Porto, whose powerful new artwork, Apparently Distant, draws on several objects from our collection. Through a series of haunting portraits, Marcia offers a deeply moving reflection on justice, memory, and resistance, honouring those so often erased from history.”

30 Objects Representing Justice opens on Monday 28 July and is free to enter. For more information, visit www.nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk or visit the National Justice Museum on High Pavement, Nottingham.