SAEDNEWS: A provocative mural attributed to Banksy — depicting a robed judge striking a protester with a gavel — has appeared on the Queen’s Building at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London and was swiftly covered and cordoned off, reigniting debate about the law, protest and free speech.
According to Saed News, the image shows a judge in the traditional wig and black robe bringing a gavel down on a figure lying on the ground clutching a placard, the placard splattered with red paint that suggests blood. The piece was photographed and shared on the artist’s Instagram account, the usual method by which the anonymous artist signals authorship.
According to Saed News, the mural was discovered on the exterior wall of the Queen’s Building — part of the Royal Courts of Justice complex — and by morning had been hidden from view behind large sheets of plastic and temporary metal barriers while security personnel guarded the site; the scene sits beneath CCTV cameras. Observers noted the rapid response, which prompted immediate discussion about whether the work should be preserved, removed or left concealed.
According to Saed News, the new work appeared against a tense political backdrop: it was reported shortly after mass arrests at a London protest against the ban on Palestine Action, a context that many commentators say frames the mural as a pointed critique of the criminalisation of dissent and the use of legal power against protesters. The artwork itself does not name a specific case, but its timing and imagery have been widely read as a direct comment on judicial authority and protest policing.
According to Saed News, Banksy’s recent London output has ranged from animal-themed pieces to more overtly political stencils; this mural marks a return to harsher, more confrontational imagery that explicitly targets institutions of power. Reactions online were immediate and mixed — some praised the piece as a necessary confrontation with state power, while others warned that demonising judges risks undermining public confidence in the rule of law.
According to Saed News, it remains unclear how long the image will remain visible to the public or what steps authorities will take next: heritage and building officials typically weigh the legal protections on historic façades against questions of public interest and criminal damage. Meanwhile the mural has already become a focal point for debate about the boundaries between street art, protest and the institutions it targets.
