It depicts a judge in a traditional wig and black robe hitting a protester lying on the ground, with blood splattering their placard. While the mural does not reference a particular cause or incident, its appearance comes two days after almost 900 people were arrested at a London protest against the ban on Palestine Action. The artwork was quickly covered up by large sheets of plastic and two metal barriers, under the guard of two security officers.

The Metropolitan police said it had received a report of criminal damage and that enquiries would continue. A spokesperson for HM Courts and Tribunals said that the Royal Courts of Justice was a listed building and that it was "obliged to maintain its original character". One security officer said they did not know how much longer they would be required to stand guard, adding, "At least it's not raining." The spot Banksy chose was on an external wall of the Queen's Building, part of the Royal Courts of Justice complex, on the usually quiet Carey Street. On Monday it was busy with onlookers taking pictures of the recently hidden patch of wall.

The Bristol-based street artist shared a photo of the wall art on Instagram, which is Banksy's usual method of claiming a work as authentic. The artist captioned the picture: "Royal Courts Of Justice. London." Labour peer Baroness Harriet Harman said she believed the work was a "protest about the law" without specifying which legislation she meant. "Parliament makes the law, and the judges simply interpret the law," she added. "I don't think there's any evidence, in terms of the right to protest, that judges have been clamping down on protests beyond what Parliament intended." Banksy's stencilled graffiti is often critical of government policy, war and capitalism. (BBC/Banksy)