The Court of Appeal has ruled that the Home Secretary's decision to proscribe Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act was lawful, overturning a previous High Court ruling. A panel of five judges, including the two most senior judges in England and Wales, found that the High Court had understated the discretion afforded to the Home Secretary in such matters.
Legal Background
From 5 July last year, membership or support for Palestine Action became an offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Over 3,000 people have been arrested, and more than 700 charged under the Terrorism Act, with cases paused pending this appeal.
Judgment Details
Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr stated that the Home Secretary is in the best position to assess future threats posed by the group, which promotes unlawful violence. The court acknowledged that proscription may have a chilling effect on lawful protest but concluded that national security concerns outweighed individual rights.
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori vowed to challenge the decision further, potentially appealing to the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. She described the ban as an unprecedented abuse of power targeting free speech.
Reactions
Human rights groups including Liberty, Amnesty International UK, and Greenpeace criticized the ruling as a misuse of counter-terrorism powers. However, the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood defended the ban, stating there is a clear difference between supporting Palestine and supporting a proscribed terrorist group.
