UK High Court Grants Palestine Action The Right To Challenge Terrorism Ban.

Judge rules government’s designation raises “reasonably arguable” human rights concerns amid growing domestic and international backlash.

London, July 30, 2025 — In a significant legal development, the UK High Court has granted Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, permission to bring a full judicial review against the British government’s decision to proscribe the activist group as a terrorist organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000. The ruling, issued on Wednesday by Justice Martin Chamberlain, marks the first major legal test of the controversial ban that has criminalised support for one of Britain’s most disruptive pro-Palestinian direct action networks.

In his judgment, Chamberlain said that two key aspects of Ammori’s legal challenge were “reasonably arguable”, namely, that the proscription order constituted a disproportionate interference with freedoms guaranteed by common law and by Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, covering freedom of expression and assembly. He also found that the government’s failure to consult the group prior to the designation may amount to a breach of natural justice.

“The proscription order is likely to give rise to interference with rights guaranteed by common law and Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights,” Chamberlain said, granting the case permission to proceed.

Government Under Fire For “Draconian” Crackdown:

Palestine Action was banned earlier this month following a dramatic direct action in June, when members of the group allegedly broke into a Royal Air Force base in southern England and spray-painted two military aircraft, causing an estimated £7 million in damage. The incident, now under investigation by counter-terrorism police, was cited by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper as evidence that the group posed a threat warranting terrorism designation.

The ban was swiftly approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, making it a criminal offence to belong to or express support for Palestine Action. Violators now face up to 14 years in prison. More than 100 people have already been arrested across London and other UK cities for acts such as holding placards, chanting slogans, or sharing social media content deemed supportive of the group since the ban came into force on July 5.

However, critics say the government’s decision is politically motivated and constitutes an authoritarian misuse of anti-terrorism legislation. “This is an extraordinary overreach that turns legitimate political protest into a criminal act,” said Ammori outside the Royal Courts of Justice, where dozens of supporters gathered in solidarity during Wednesday’s hearing. “This case is not just about Palestine Action, it’s about whether dissent itself is now being outlawed in Britain.”

Cultural, Legal, And International Outcry:

The legal challenge comes amid a wave of opposition from civil society, the cultural sector, and international human rights experts. Earlier this month, more than 400 cultural figures, including writers, artists, and academics, signed an open letter calling on the UK government to reverse the proscription and “stop arming Israel.” The letter described the ban as a “grave threat to democratic freedoms.”

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also condemned the UK’s move, warning it marked a “disturbing misuse” of counter-terrorism laws and risked eroding basic civil liberties. “Targeting non-violent protest groups using anti-terror legislation sets a deeply troubling precedent,” Türk said in Geneva.

Legal representatives for Ammori argue the UK has become an “international outlier” in its criminalisation of nonviolent direct action. They contend that Palestine Action’s tactics, while confrontational and sometimes unlawful, are political and directed at challenging the UK’s complicity in Israeli war crimes, particularly through arms exports to Israel and the hosting of Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, on British soil.

Since its founding in 2020, Palestine Action has led a sustained campaign of property disruption, paint-throwing, and factory occupations targeting Elbit and other companies linked to the Israeli military-industrial complex. The group says it aims to expose and dismantle what it calls the “infrastructure of genocide,” particularly in light of the UK’s continued arms trade with Israel during its war on Gaza.

Background: War Crimes Allegations And Israel’s Gaza Onslaught.

The judicial review comes as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza reaches catastrophic levels. According to the latest reports, over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s bombardment of the enclave since October 2023. Millions have been displaced, and much of the territory’s infrastructure has been reduced to rubble. International rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have accused Israel of war crimes, including collective punishment, targeting civilians, and deliberately blocking humanitarian aid.

Palestine Action argues that the UK government is complicit in these crimes through its continued military and logistical support to Israel. The group has drawn direct links between British-manufactured weapons and Israeli airstrikes, and has demanded a complete cessation of arms exports and logistical support.

What Comes Next?

The High Court’s decision does not overturn the proscription, but it opens the door for a full legal examination of the Home Secretary’s justification for the ban. A successful judicial review could see the order quashed or modified, and potentially reshape the legal framework for banning political organisations in the UK.

In the meantime, civil liberties campaigners are warning of the chilling effect the ban is already having on free expression. “This is a test case for British democracy,” said lawyer Shami Chakrabarti, a former director of Liberty. “If you can designate a protest group as terrorists for targeting war profiteers, then no activist movement is safe.”

Palestine Action has vowed to continue its campaign regardless of legal threats. “They can criminalise us, jail us, and smear us,” Ammori said, “but they will never silence us, not while Gaza burns.”

Key Developments:

• July 30: High Court rules Palestine Action can proceed with legal challenge to terrorist designation.
• July 5: Ban takes legal effect after being passed in Parliament; dozens arrested under new powers.
• June: Activists damage two RAF planes, prompting the Home Secretary’s decision to proscribe the group.
• UN reaction: UN human rights chief Volker Türk condemns UK ban as a misuse of terrorism laws.

Cultural pushback: Over 400 artists and academics issue an open letter defending Palestine Action.

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