Ban on Palestine Action was lawful, court of appeal rules

The UK Court of Appeal has ruled that the government's ban on Palestine Action was lawful, overturning a High Court decision from February that had briefly put the proscription in doubt.

The ruling is a major legal reversal in a case that has become a test of how far UK terrorism law can be used against protest-linked activity. It keeps support for Palestine Action criminalized unless a higher court later intervenes.

The decision also preserves the legal footing for the arrests and charges that have followed the ban. Reporting on the case says more than 3,000 people have been arrested since the group was proscribed and more than 700 have been charged.

What the court decided

The appeal was heard by a five-judge panel including the lady chief justice, Sue Carr. The court accepted the Home Secretary's power to proscribe the group and rejected the argument that the ban was unlawful.

According to reporting on the judgment, the court said the balance favored national security and public safety over the interference with rights to expression and assembly.

A central feature of the ruling was its distinction between support for the Palestinian cause and support for Palestine Action itself. The court drew a line between lawful political support for Palestinians and unlawful support for a proscribed organization.

That distinction matters because it shapes the legal boundary between protest, political advocacy and support for a banned group. The court's reasoning strengthens the government's position that the proscription targets a specific organization, not support for Palestine as a cause.

How the case got here

Palestine Action was proscribed under the UK's Terrorism Act on July 5, 2025. The ban triggered a wave of protest activity and later a large number of arrests tied to demonstrations and expressions of support for the group.

On February 13, 2026, the High Court ruled that the proscription was unlawful. That decision raised the possibility that the government's counter-terror approach to the group could unravel and that some related prosecutions might be undermined.

The Court of Appeal has now reversed that outcome. The ruling leaves the ban in force and strengthens the legal position of police and prosecutors handling the cases that have built up since the proscription.

Reactions and next steps

Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori has said she will seek permission to appeal further. Reporting on the case says that route could include an application to the Supreme Court and, if needed, the European Court of Human Rights.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood defended the outcome, saying there is a difference between supporting Palestine and supporting a proscribed terrorist group. That response reflects the government's argument that the case is about a specific organization rather than wider political speech.

Civil liberties groups, including Liberty and Amnesty International UK, have argued that the ban misuses counter-terror powers and chills lawful protest. Human Rights Watch has also criticized the approach, according to the reporting.

For now, police and prosecutors are expected to continue enforcing the proscription unless a higher court changes the position. The ruling keeps criminal exposure alive for people accused of supporting Palestine Action.

The case is likely to shape the future of the hundreds of active prosecutions now moving through the courts. It also leaves open the possibility that a Supreme Court bid could produce another major shift in the legal position.

In practical terms, the Court of Appeal has restored the government's ability to rely on the ban while the wider fight continues. In political and legal terms, it is one of the clearest tests yet of where UK courts will place the line between lawful protest and support for a proscribed group.