UK Court of Appeal Upholds Ban on Palestine Action as Terrorist Group
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The Court of Appeal ruled that the government's designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was lawful, overturning a previous High Court decision.
Britain’s Court of Appeal on Monday confirmed that the Home Secretary’s decision to proscribe the activist group Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 was lawful. The ruling reversed a February High Court judgment that had found the ban disproportionate and an infringement on freedom of expression.
Chief Justice Sue Carr said the proscription “struck a fair balance” and noted that the group’s conduct did not align with that of a non-violent, direct-action organisation. She added that Palestine Action “overtly promoted unlawful violence amounting to terrorism” and that its campaign was intended to shut down lawful businesses, posing “future threats and risks” to third parties and property.
The government had argued that the impact of the ban on free speech had been overstated. Lawyers for interior minister Shabana Mahmood contended that the restriction on expression was “wrong”.
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori said the proscription imposed “severe restrictions on the fundamental free speech and assembly rights of vast numbers of people” and announced plans to challenge the decision in higher courts.
A spokesperson for the Defend Our Juries campaign expressed surprise at the verdict, claiming the courts had been used to suppress opposition to genocide.
Thousands of arrests have been made since the ban was imposed, reflecting the government’s broader crackdown on supporters of the group.