High Court Declares Palestine Action Ban Unlawful in Landmark Ruling
In a significant legal development, three senior High Court judges have ruled that the government's ban on the activist group Palestine Action is unlawful. The judgment, delivered on Friday, determined that the proscription order was disproportionate and constituted a very serious interference with fundamental rights to protest and free speech.
Co-founder Demands Immediate Suspension of Ban
Huda Ammori, who co-founded Palestine Action in 2020 and led the successful legal challenge, has called for the immediate suspension of the ban while the government attempts to appeal. "The ban has massively backfired," Ammori stated, emphasizing that the proscription should be lifted following the court's finding of unlawfulness.
"Considering the thousands of people who are going through the criminal justice system for holding signs opposing genocide and supporting Palestine Action, it's ridiculous to maintain an unlawful ban," Ammori declared. She argued that the logical next step would be for the proscription order to be quashed entirely, or at minimum, for its effects to be halted during the appeal process.
Government Appeals Decision Amid Ongoing Legal Battle
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced the government's intention to appeal the ruling, stating that "the proscription of Palestine Action followed a rigorous and evidence-based decision-making process, endorsed by parliament." Despite the court's finding, the ban remains temporarily in place pending further legal arguments about whether it should be lifted.
This legal limbo affects more than 2,500 individuals who participated in civil disobedience campaigns defying the ban. Over 500 of these protesters have been charged under section 13 of the Terrorism Act, with their cases delayed while awaiting the outcome of this judicial review.
Judges Acknowledge Criminality but Reject Terrorism Designation
The High Court judges described Palestine Action as "an organization that promotes its political cause through criminality and encouragement of criminality," a characterization seized upon by the Home Secretary. However, the court found that such activities could be addressed through existing criminal law and did not amount to terrorism, meaning the proscription could not be justified given its interference with protected rights.
Ammori emphasized the importance of winning on the free speech and protest rights grounds, noting that a victory on purely procedural grounds would have allowed the government to simply repeat the consultation process and reach the same conclusion.
Personal Toll and Political Backlash
The co-founder revealed the personal toll of being labeled a terrorist organization. "It's not easy to be smeared as a terrorist," Ammori said, describing how hearing Palestine Action described this way in media reports made her feel "sick to the stomach."
She believes the government's attempt to destroy the organization has instead strengthened it. "This has made Palestine Action a household name," Ammori asserted. "It has sparked outrage among thousands, if not tens or hundreds of thousands of people across the country and across the world, and it has increased support for direct action massively."
Ammori concluded that the government's actions have "massively backfired," particularly now that the court has proven the ban unlawful from its inception. The ruling represents a significant victory for protest rights advocates and sets an important precedent regarding the balance between national security concerns and fundamental democratic freedoms.
