The Court of Appeal in London ruled on Monday (15 June) that the government's decision to ban pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation was lawful, handing ministers a victory in a closely watched legal battle over protest rights and national security.
Palestine Action, founded in 2020, was proscribed under UK terrorism laws last year following a series of actions targeting Israel-linked defence companies, particularly Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems.
The ruling overturns a High Court decision issued in February, which found that the ban unlawfully interfered with freedom of expression. Despite that judgment, Palestine Action remained proscribed while the government pursued its appeal.
Delivering the ruling, Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr said the court had concluded that the ban was justified and proportionate.
She rejected arguments that Palestine Action should be regarded as a non-violent direct-action movement, saying its conduct went beyond peaceful protest.
"The behaviour of Palestine Action was not that of a non-violent direct action organisation," Carr said.
While acknowledging that the ban was "highly controversial", she added that "it is a fundamental mistake to overlook the fact that Palestine Action overtly promoted unlawful violence amounting to terrorism."
The government had argued that the earlier High Court ruling placed too much emphasis on the impact of the ban on free speech.
Lawyers representing Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told an appeal hearing in April that the conclusion that proscription had significantly restricted freedom of expression was "overstated and wrong."
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori challenged the government's decision, arguing that the ban had far-reaching consequences for supporters of the Palestinian cause.
Ammori said proscription had imposed "severe restrictions on the fundamental free speech and assembly rights of vast numbers of people" who support Palestinian rights.
The case has attracted significant attention in Britain because of its implications for protest movements and the use of anti-terrorism legislation.
Under UK law, membership of or support for a proscribed organisation is a criminal offence. The ruling by the Court of Appeal of England and Wales means Palestine Action will remain on the list of banned organisations unless a further legal challenge succeeds.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to en...
Iran has warned it will retaliate against any future U.S. attacks, saying American energy interests and infrastructure across the Gulf could become...
Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW) 2026 has begun in Azerbaijan’s capital, bringing together government representatives, business leaders, inves...
An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel, school activities and fishing operations, with hundreds of passengers stranded at Jakarta’s main airport on Sunday.
At least five people were killed and five others injured when an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran a runway and crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, 6 September, local officials said.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, officials said.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
A battle over the future of the European Union’s diplomatic service is deepening divisions over who controls the bloc’s foreign policy, as EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas pushes back against plans to overhaul her service.
The Strait of Hormuz is moving into a more complicated stage of the U.S.-Iran war. Tehran says it will establish a new restricted maritime zone around the waterway, while Iran and Oman are preparing to formalise a separate shipping route intended to restore at least part of commercial traffic.
The European Union is preparing to boost investment in Greenland, as Brussels moves to deepen political and economic ties with the Arctic territory amid growing strategic competition involving the U.S., Russia and China.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said a newly commissioned destroyer will become part of the country's nuclear response system, capable of delivering what he described as “annihilating retaliatory strikes”.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment