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UK ban on Palestine Action unlawful, high court judges rule
Protest group’s co-founder wins legal challenge against decision to proscribe it under anti-terrorism laws
The proscription of Palestine Action, which categorised it alongside the likes of Islamic State, was the first of a direct action protest group and attracted widespread condemnation as well as a civil disobedience campaign defying the ban, during which more than 2,000 people have been arrested.
From 5 July last year, being a member of – or showing support for – the group became an offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
...
They allowed the challenge on two of four grounds, namely that there was “a very significant interference” with the rights to freedom of speech, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association and that the then home secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action was not consistent with her own policy.
The current home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said she would appeal against the decision.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/13/uk-ban-palestine-action-unlawful-high-court-judges-rule
The proscription of Palestine Action, which categorised it alongside the likes of Islamic State, was the first of a direct action protest group and attracted widespread condemnation as well as a civil disobedience campaign defying the ban, during which more than 2,000 people have been arrested.
From 5 July last year, being a member of – or showing support for – the group became an offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
...
They allowed the challenge on two of four grounds, namely that there was “a very significant interference” with the rights to freedom of speech, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association and that the then home secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action was not consistent with her own policy.
The current home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said she would appeal against the decision.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/13/uk-ban-palestine-action-unlawful-high-court-judges-rule
Tom Southerden, Amnesty International UK’s law and human rights director, described the ruling as a “vital affirmation of the right to protest”. He added: “The high court’s decision sends a clear message: the government cannot simply reach for sweeping counter‑terrorism powers to silence critics or suppress dissent … it draws an important line in the sand against attempts to narrow the democratic space and undermine public confidence in the right to speak out.
Greenpeace UK’s co-executive director Areeba Hamid said the government’s decision to ban a protest group “is the stuff of dystopian novels”. She added: “Arresting thousands of protesters – many of them pensioners who were simply holding signs – is the stuff of satire. Hopefully this ruling will deliver a much-needed reality check.”
Yasmine Ahmed, UK director of Human Rights Watch, called for a “thorough and independent investigation” on the government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action. She said the court’s ruling “reinforces what many of us having been saying all along- that the government’s misuse of terrorism legislation was a brazen and gross abuse of power that served to stifle legitimate criticism of Israel and those profiting from its atrocities”.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2026/feb/13/high-court-to-rule-on-lawfulness-of-home-offices-decision-to-proscribe-palestine-action-live?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-698efe7d8f082bcc72ce464d#block-698efe7d8f082bcc72ce464d
Greenpeace UK’s co-executive director Areeba Hamid said the government’s decision to ban a protest group “is the stuff of dystopian novels”. She added: “Arresting thousands of protesters – many of them pensioners who were simply holding signs – is the stuff of satire. Hopefully this ruling will deliver a much-needed reality check.”
Yasmine Ahmed, UK director of Human Rights Watch, called for a “thorough and independent investigation” on the government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action. She said the court’s ruling “reinforces what many of us having been saying all along- that the government’s misuse of terrorism legislation was a brazen and gross abuse of power that served to stifle legitimate criticism of Israel and those profiting from its atrocities”.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2026/feb/13/high-court-to-rule-on-lawfulness-of-home-offices-decision-to-proscribe-palestine-action-live?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-698efe7d8f082bcc72ce464d#block-698efe7d8f082bcc72ce464d
Good news. The ban remains in place while the appeal happens, though.
The Palestine Action members recently on trial for criminal damage etc. had been found not guilty on some counts, while the jury couldn't reach a verdict on others - they face a retrial on those:
Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin face a retrial in connection with a raid at a UK subsidiary of an Israeli defence firm near Bristol after a jury failed to return full verdicts last week.
Head, 29, Corner, 23, Kamio, 30, Rajwani, 21, Rogers, 22, and Devlin, 31, were acquitted of aggravated burglary last week, but after deliberating for 36 hours and 34 minutes, the jury failed to reach verdicts for charges of criminal damage against the six defendants.
They also failed to reach a verdict on the charges of violent disorder against Head, Kamio and Corner.
No verdict was reached for a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent either, which Corner was accused of after allegedly striking police sergeant Kate Evans in the back with a sledgehammer during the raid.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2j458gy1eo
Head, 29, Corner, 23, Kamio, 30, Rajwani, 21, Rogers, 22, and Devlin, 31, were acquitted of aggravated burglary last week, but after deliberating for 36 hours and 34 minutes, the jury failed to reach verdicts for charges of criminal damage against the six defendants.
They also failed to reach a verdict on the charges of violent disorder against Head, Kamio and Corner.
No verdict was reached for a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent either, which Corner was accused of after allegedly striking police sergeant Kate Evans in the back with a sledgehammer during the raid.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2j458gy1eo
