Prominent Toronto artist David Wall removed while documenting open court proceedings, raising serious concerns about transparency and the open court principle.
TORONTO— Lawyers for TDF are representing prominent Toronto courtroom sketch artist David Wall after he was wrongfully ejected from open court while sketching.
David has been sketching Canadian courtroom scenes for over 24 years, documenting high-profile cases such as the Via Rail terror trial, a G20 police disciplinary hearing and the deportation proceedings for Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel. His work has been featured in galleries and news media across Canada. He has donated over 380 paintings and sketches to the Archives of Ontario.
Recently, however, several troubling incidents have interfered with his ability to freely sketch courtroom proceedings. These incidents eventually escalated into a wrongful ejection.
In April 2025, Mr. Wall was sketching in court when a court security officer interrogated him and told him to leave. After the presiding judge intervened, the officer wrongly forbade David from sketching him. In November 2025, while sketching in open court, Mr. Wall was approached by court security officers who told him it was 5 p.m, that only lawyers could stay and that he had to “pack up and go.” Mr. Wall refused to leave. Another officer then approached Mr. Wall. He advised that things “could get physical". Only through the intercession of the presiding judge was his ejection avoided. In December 2025, David was sketching in court when he was again told by an officer that he had to leave because Mr. Wall “had no business here and was not family or a witness in the case." This time, David was ejected from the courtroom.
David's experience is not isolated: federal and provincial governments, administrative tribunals and courts have all acted to reduce public scrutiny of official conduct, most recently with the sealing of vaccine injury records by Health Canada.
TDF lawyers have now written to the Ontario Court Services Division and the Ministry of the Attorney General for Ontario to demand an explanation and assurances that David will be allowed to sketch in open court.
Litigation Director for TDF, Mark Joseph, stated: "The Supreme Court of Canada has affirmed that the open court principle is crucial for liberal democracy. It is adjacent to the right to freedom of expression and freedom of the press - both guaranteed by our Charter. The ability to observe and report on judicial proceedings is fundamental to the proper administration of justice: without it, Canadians have no direct knowledge about the fairness of the justice system. We're hopeful that the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Court Services Division will affirm our client's rights."
About The Democracy Fund:
Founded in 2021, The Democracy Fund (TDF) is a Canadian charity dedicated to constitutional rights, advancing education and relieving poverty. TDF promotes constitutional rights through litigation and public education. TDF supports an access to justice initiative for Canadians whose civil liberties have been infringed by government lockdowns and other public policy responses to the pandemic.