UK Justice Ministry Spends £85,000 to Remove Banksy Mural at Royal Courts of Justice

The UK Ministry of Justice has spent £85,000 (approximately €100,000) to erase a Banksy stencil from the Royal Courts of Justice in London, a decision that has reignited the debate over whether street art constitutes vandalism or art. The artwork, created in September 2025 on a wall of the Queen's Court Building, depicts a judge striking a prostrate protester with a gavel. The building is Grade II listed, obliging His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) to preserve its historic character. The removal costs include security measures, as reported by The Guardian. Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy argues that Banksy should pay for the removal, while others advocate for the protection of street art. This case contrasts with previous instances where public funds were used to preserve Banksy works, such as the 2006 Bristol mural 'Well Hung Lover' and the 2024 police box transformed into a piranha aquarium, later acquired by the London Museum. UK law does not provide specific protection for street art, leaving such works as unauthorized graffiti and thus criminal damage. Historic England acknowledges the difficulty in distinguishing between street art and unwanted graffiti, and case-by-case decisions have allowed some works to remain.