# Banksy 'judge' mural scrubbed from Royal Courts of Justice wall Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2z30p033ro Kiwi News: https://news.kiwistand.com/stories/Banksy-judge-mural-scrubbed-from-Royal-Courts-of-Justice-wall?index=0x68c263ad9109d9fc8ee67bb92bedf6299608738c79b8639b8ccc41c38a0c789cba1c3cff Submitted by tim on 2025-09-11 UTC, 3 upvotes, 0 comments ## Summary Banksy's mural of a judge looming over a protester has been removed from an external wall of the Queen's Building in the Royal Courts of Justice complex in London. The mural appeared on a Monday and depicted a protester lying on the ground holding a blood-spattered placard while a judge in a wig and gown wields a gavel. HM Courts & Tribunals Service said the work would be removed because the building is listed and legally protected, and the Metropolitan Police stated that inquiries into the mural, reported as criminal damage, were ongoing. ## Article PA Media The image took on a ghostly tone as the paint was scrubbed away A mural by the street artist Banksy is being removed from the wall of a court building in London. The mural appeared on an external wall of the Queen's Building, in the Royal Courts of Justice complex, on Monday. The image depicted a protester lying on the ground holding a blood-spattered placard while a judge, in a wig and gown, looms over him, wielding a gavel. The work has been covered up at various points since it was discovered and guarded by security staff, with the HM Courts & Tribunals Service confirming that it would be removed due to the building being listed and therefore legally protected. The removal of the mural from the court building was captured by passers-by Banksy confirmed he was responsible for the work with a post on Instagram, showing the graffiti before it was covered over. It has been interpreted by some as a comment on the arrest of hundreds of people for supporting Palestine Action by holding up placards at protests. He also provided financial backing and designed the interior for a boutique guesthouse in Bethlehem called The Walled Off Hotel, which prided itself on the "worst view in the world" - it looked out on the concrete slabs of the barrier Israel built in and around the occupied West Bank. The hotel announced its closure "for the time being", "due to major developments in the region" in 2023. PA Media The artwork before it was removed showed a protester holding a blank blood-spattered sign The artwork comes weeks after the Lady Chief Justice, the most senior judge in England and Wales, repeated concerns for the safety of judges, who she said had been subjected to "increasing and increasingly unacceptable sensationalist and inaccurate abuse". The mural was reported as criminal damage, with the Metropolitan Police stating that inquiries were ongoing. The courts service confirmed that it is legally obliged to maintain the character of the building because of its listed status. PA Media The work was concealed by a metal barrier before being removed Banksy's stencilled graffiti is often critical of government policy, war and capitalism. Last summer, the artist began an animal-themed campaign in the capital of nine works, which concluded with a gorilla appearing to lift up a shutter on the entrance to London Zoo. Other notable works included piranhas swimming on a police sentry box in the City of London, and a howling wolf on a satellite dish, which was taken off the roof of a shop in Peckham, south London, less than an hour after it was unveiled. London Zoo removes Banksy work for 'safekeeping' Police investigate removal of street sign in Peckham as alleged theft Banksy piranhas to find new home in London Museum PA Media The wall of the listed building is being returned to its original blank state