Home Office allowed to appeal Palestine Action court ruling

The Home Office has been given permission to appeal against the High Court's ruling that proscribing Palestine Action under anti-terror legislation was unlawful.

Judges said earlier this month that the campaign group's activities had not met the threshold to declare it a terrorist organisation, but the ban remained in place pending any eventual government appeal.

On the day of the decision, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government would appeal, adding she was "disappointed" by the ruling.

Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori, who brought the initial challenge against the ban, wrote on X: "The ban is UNLAWFUL and we'll fight until it is lifted. We will win again."

Palestine Action was banned under the Terrorism Act 2000 by then-Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last summer, making it a criminal offence to belong to or express support for the group.

Thousands of people have been arrested since the proscription came into force, with their prosecutions now thrown into doubt.

London's Metropolitan Police has said expressing support for Palestine Action "is still a criminal offence", but it indicated officers were unlikely to arrest people at protests for backing the group.

On Wednesday, three High Court judges gave the green light to the Home Office to challenge their decision at the Court of Appeal.

They also said the ruling quashing the ban was paused "pending determination of the defendant's appeal to the Court of Appeal, or further order".

No date for the appeal has been set.