Dominic Casciani
Home and legal correspondent, reporting from the High Court

Image source, PA Media

There's a lot of moving parts around Palestine Action.

We're all back in court about likely re-trials in relation to the first major prosecution of its members for breaking into an arms firm - that happens on 18 February.

And we know Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is going to appeal today's decision.

On 20 February, there's what's known as a consequential hearing. The home secretary will have to set out what she expects from an appeal. Meanwhile, I suspect Palestine Action will seek for the ban to be immediately quashed - and for the group to become lawful again.

As the ban remains in place, it will be interesting to see what happens this afternoon.

But as we just learned, the Met now says it won't arrest anyone for the time being for holding signs that declare support for Palestine Action, as they have done on previous occasions.

This is a really important judgement, but it doesn't end the story.

Image source, EPA

The High Court has ruled that banning Palestine Action under terrorism legislation is unlawful, but it will remain a proscribed group for now. Here's a recap if you're just joining us:

• Judges called the ban "disproportionate", adding that former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had not fully followed her own policies when introducing the ban last summer. She also failed to account for the impact it would have on the right to protest, they said
• It's a blow to the Home Office, which has said it will appeal the decision. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says she is "disappointed", adding that the government's proscription followed a "rigorous" process
• Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori calls the ruling a "monumental victory", adding that the ban will be remembered as "one of the most extreme attacks on free speech in recent British history"
• However, supporting the group is still a criminal offence for the time being. The ban will remain in place until another hearing on 20 February, which will determine what happens next
• So, what does it mean in terms of law enforcement? The Met Police says it will continue to identify potential offences, but will now focus on "gathering evidence" for "enforcement at a later date", rather than making immediate arrests

The Metropolitan Police has just issued a statement in response to today's High Court ruling, saying that expressing support for Palestine Action remains a criminal offence.

The High Court ruled earlier that proscribing the group under terrorism legislation was unlawful, but it added that the ban would remain in place to allow further arguments.

"The group remains proscribed pending the outcome of any government appeal," the Met says, adding that they "recognise these are unusual circumstances".

Police officers will focus on "gathering evidence" of those expressing support for the group "to provide opportunities for enforcement at a later date".

But they won't arrest those committing the offence at the time, the statement explains.

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

Image source, PA Media

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has welcomed the High Court's ruling that the government's proscription of Palestine Action was unlawful.

In a statement, he urges the government to take action and "stop criminalising" people who demonstrate in support of Palestine Action.

"Over 2,700 people have so far been arrested for holding a sign opposing genocide and the proscription of Palestine Action," Polanski says.

"Those already charged should have those charges dropped, and the Crown Prosecution should discontinue action against all those arrested."

Palestine Action was proscribed a terror group by the UK government last July.

By law, the government can proscribe an organisation if it commits, prepares for, promotes, encourages or is “otherwise concerned” in terrorism.

There are currently 84 organisations proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000.

This list includes al-Qaeda, an Islamic group previously led by Osama Bin Laden, neo-Nazi group National Action and private Russian military company the Wagner Group.

Dominic Casciani
Home and legal correspondent

Image source, PA Media

The High Court said that when the former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper decided to ban the organisation last June, she had failed to first take into account what impact that decision would have on the right to protest.

They also said she had not fully followed her own policies regarding the test for when an organisation should be proscribed under the Terrorism Act.

Prior to the ban, the group’s volunteers had been breaking into arms firms linked to Israel, leading to charges of criminal damage.

Terrorism legislation permits ministers to ban a group which causes serious damage to property in order to further their cause.

The High Court ruled that the organisation had no human rights defence to those incidents.

But the judge said that a critical issue in the case was whether the ban was impacting the rights of others to protest in support of Palestinian issues.

“We accept that the fact of proscription and the heavy penalties for [terrorism offences] will mean that it is reasonable to expect people to be risk averse, to adjust their behaviour and to avoid doing things that run any significant risk that they might commit any of those criminal offences,” Dame Victoria Sharp said.

The judges said that while “a very small number” of Palestine Action’s activities met the legal test for acts of terrorism, the standard criminal law could be used to confront the group.

We can now bring you some images from outside the High Court, where judges have just read out their ruling which said the decision to ban Palestine Action was "unlawful".

Though the High Court said the ban is "disproportionate", it currently remains a criminal offence to be a member of, or support, Palestine Action.

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

As we continue to bring you reaction to the High Court's ruling, here's a quick look at the summary of their decision.

Dame Victoria Sharp said while reading out the 46-page judgement that the court considered the proscription of Palestine Action "disproportionate".

"A very small number of Palestine Action's activities amounted to acts of terrorism within the definition of section 1 of the 2000 Act," she said.

"For these, and for Palestine Action's other criminal activities, the general criminal law remains available.

"The nature and scale of Palestine Action's activities falling within the definition of terrorism had not yet reached the level, scale and persistence to warrant proscription."

Supporting Palestine Action became illegal in July 2025 after the government voted to proscribe it under anti-terror law.

It meant that membership or expressing support for the group became punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

The move came weeks after Palestine Action activists broke in to an RAF base and spray-painted two military aircraft, resulting in £7m of damage.

At the time, the government said the group met the criteria for terrorism, which is the use or threat of violence or damage to property designed to influence a government or intimidate the public to advance an ideological cause.

As a reminder: The group has successfully challenged the ban, but expressing support for Palestine Action or taking part in its activities remains a serious criminal offence.

Image source, PA Media

Palestine Action's co-founder, Huda Ammori, calls the High Court ruling a "monumental victory for both our fundamental freedoms in Britain and in the struggle for freedom for the Palestinian people".

Ammori says the group's ban under terrorism legislation will be remembered as "one of the most extreme attacks on free speech in recent British history".

Responding to the government's intention to appeal the High Court ruling, Ammori says it would be "profoundly unjust" for the thousands of people who have been arrested since the group was proscribed last July.

Image source, PA Media

We can now bring you more from the home secretary, who says she's "disappointed" by the High Court's decision.

“For those reasons, I am disappointed by the Court’s decision and disagree with the notion that banning this terrorist organisation is disproportionate.

She adds that the government's proscription “followed a rigorous and evidence-based decision-making process, endorsed by Parliament".

The government will appeal against the High Court's decision that the ban on Palestine Action is unlawful, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says.

We'll bring you more comments from Mahmood in the next few moments.

Dominic Casciani
Home and legal correspondent

The High Court has ruled that the ban of Palestine Action under terrorism legislation is unlawful - but it remains in place for now.

In a massive blow to the Home Office, three senior judges said that while Palestine Action use criminality to promote its aims its activities had not crossed the very high bar to make it a terrorist organisation.

The judges however ruled the ban must remain in place until a further hearing later in February as to what should happen next - including the possibility of a government appeal.

The decision means that while the group has successfully challenged the ban, expressing support for Palestine Action or taking part in its activities remains a serious criminal offence.

This is a developing story. We’ll bring you more information in just a moment.