UK Court of Appeal upholds ban on Palestine Action under terrorism law

The UK Court of Appeal has ruled that the government’s ban on Palestine Action under terrorism law was lawful, overturning a February High Court decision and keeping the proscription in force.

The ruling is a major legal victory for the government and means criminal penalties for membership of, or support for, the group remain in place while the wider fight over the ban continues.

According to AP, the Guardian and other outlets, the appellate panel said the home secretary had broad discretion when deciding whether to proscribe an organisation. The judges also found the ban was justified and proportionate when weighed against freedom of expression rights.

The court drew a distinction between support for Palestine Action and lawful support for the Palestinian cause more broadly. It said the decision does not prevent people from expressing support for Palestinians or opposition to Israel or the Israel Defense Forces.

How the case got here

Palestine Action was proscribed in 2025 under the Terrorism Act after a series of direct-action protests and destructive incidents, including a break-in at a Royal Air Force base, according to AP.

That move triggered a sustained protest campaign and a legal challenge. In February 2026, the High Court ruled that the ban was unlawful or disproportionate, although the proscription stayed in effect while the government appealed.

The Court of Appeal has now overturned that earlier ruling. The panel included the two most senior judges in England and Wales, underscoring the significance of the case for how UK terrorism law can be used against protest movements.

Chief Justice Sue Carr said, according to AP, that Palestine Action was not a transparent, non-violent civil-disobedience group and described it as covert, with secret cells.

What the ruling changes

The immediate effect is that the ban remains in force. That matters not only for Palestine Action itself, but also for the large number of cases tied to protests over the proscription.

AP reported that more than 3,300 people have been arrested at protests connected to the ban and more than 700 have been charged under the Terrorism Act. Those cases have been moving slowly through the system while the appeal was pending.

A judge is due to decide on June 30, 2026, whether paused related cases can proceed. That hearing could determine how quickly the backlog of arrests and charges starts moving again.

The case is also a major test of the boundary between protest rights and terrorism powers in the UK. Supporters of Palestine Action say the ban criminalises political dissent, while the court said lawful support for the Palestinian cause remains permitted.

Reactions and next steps

Huda Ammori, a co-founder of Palestine Action, said the group will seek permission to appeal to the UK Supreme Court and, if needed, the European Court of Human Rights.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said, according to The Times, that supporting Palestine is different from supporting a proscribed terrorist group. The government has framed the ban as a response to unlawful activity and property damage, not to political protest in general.

Civil-liberties groups including Amnesty International, Liberty and Human Rights Watch have criticised the ban as an overreach and a threat to protest rights. Defend Our Juries has also been among the groups publicly contesting the proscription.

The ruling leaves the central legal and political fight unresolved. The June 30 case-management decision and any move toward a Supreme Court appeal will determine how quickly the dispute enters its next stage.