Labour MPs Urge Government to Accept Court Ruling on Palestine Action Ban
Labour MPs have strongly urged the Government not to appeal against a High Court ruling that declared the ban on Palestine Action as a terror group to be unlawful and "disproportionate." The backbench MPs, alongside Labour peers in the House of Lords, have also called on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to retract her statement that she would "fight" the ruling, arguing that such language is not appropriate for her office or aligned with Labour values.
Implications for Thousands of Protesters
The judgment, delivered on Friday, could have significant implications for thousands of individuals who have been arrested for supporting Palestine Action at protests across the country. Currently, the ban remains in effect, and the Government has announced plans to appeal the decision. Proscription under the Terrorism Act 2000 makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group, with penalties of up to 14 years in prison.
A coalition of 26 MPs and peers, including former minister Lord Peter Hain from the Blair era and senior MP John McDonnell, has written to the Government urging it to abandon its appeal plans. Independent MP Diane Abbott is among the signatories, along with several Labour MPs who have previously rebelled against the Government, such as Rachael Maskell and Neil Duncan-Jordan, according to a copy of the letter shared by Mr. McDonnell on social media platform X.
Call for Respect of the Rule of Law
In their letter, the MPs and peers stated: "We urge you to respect this decision, thus sending a signal that this Labour Government will promote the rule of law, even when this feels inconvenient or embarrassing in the context of past mistakes." They added that the proscription has been "extremely counterproductive to public order, community cohesion, and trust in the Government," and urged authorities to differentiate between pursuing serious offences and guilt by mere association.
Following the High Court's decision, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed disappointment and vowed to "fight this judgment in the Court of Appeal" in a post on X. The Labour MPs and peers criticized her choice of words, requesting she withdraw the tweet and use more temperate language befitting her vital office and Labour values.
Police Response and Legal Context
Although the ban remains in place, the Metropolitan Police has indicated that officers are unlikely to arrest people solely for showing support for Palestine Action until the legal situation is clarified. Ms. Mahmood has voiced concerns that the ruling could severely restrict the Government's discretion to ban organisations in the future.
Palestine Action, which has undertaken 385 direct actions since 2020 in protest against the situation in Palestine and the actions of the Israeli government, saw its co-founder Huda Ammori take legal action against the Home Office. The challenge was over then-home secretary Yvette Cooper's decision last year to proscribe the group under the Terrorism Act 2000, announced after the group claimed responsibility for causing an estimated £7 million in damage to military tanker planes at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.
Court's Detailed Ruling
In a 46-page ruling, Dame Victoria Sharp, sitting with Mr Justice Swift and Mrs Justice Steyn, concluded: "We are satisfied that the decision to proscribe Palestine Action was disproportionate. At its core, Palestine Action is an organisation that promotes its political cause through criminality and encouragement of criminality. A very small number of its actions have amounted to terrorist action." This nuanced assessment highlights the complexity of balancing security concerns with legal proportionality in cases involving protest groups.
