Closing summary
That’s all from us on the Palestine Action ruling today, thanks for following along. Here is a summary of the main news lines:
Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, won a legal challenge to the home secretary’s decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws. The high court ruled that the government’s ban was unlawful, “disproportionate” and should be overturned.
In a 46-page ruling, Dame Victoria Sharp said Ammori had won on two of her four grounds of challenge but said the ban would remain to allow further arguments and the government time to submit an appeal. That means it is still a criminal offence to be a member of, or show support for, Palestine Action.
The high court ruled that the ban was a disproportionate interference with the right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. Sharp said that “Palestine Action is an organisation that promotes its political cause through criminality and encouragement of criminality”, but that proscription was still “disproportionate”.
Ammori described the ruling as a “monumental victory” that will be remembered “as one of the most extreme attacks on free speech in recent British history”. Palestine Action activists have called for former home secretary Yvette Cooper, who made the decision to proscribe the group last year, to resign.
The current home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said the ruling was “disappointing” and that she will fight to prevent the proscription being lifted. “As a former lord chancellor, I have the deepest respect for our judiciary. Home secretaries must however retain the ability to take action to protect our national security and keep the public safe,” she said.
The Metropolitan police said it will stop arresting protesters who hold up signs declaring support for Palestine Action in the wake of the ruling. Officers will continue to identify offences and gather evidence of overt support for the group, the Met said, as it acknowledged that the “unusual circumstances” of the high court ruling may cause “some confusion among the public as to what happens next”.
The protest group Defend Our Juries said more than 2,700 people have been arrested for holding up signs supporting Palestine Action since the ban came into effect in July. The group said there was a large police presence outside the high court today but that no one was arrested for holding signs saying they supported Palestine Action.
Conservative MPs said they welcome the government’s intention to appeal against the high court’s ruling. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “There can be no hesitation when public safety and national security are at stake.”
Green party leader Zack Polanski agreed with the ruling and called for charges made against protesters to be dropped. “It is time for the Government to stop criminalising the people protesting a genocide,” he said. It was a sentiment echoed by Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Max Wilkinson, who said placing Palestine Action “in the same legal category as Isis” was disproportionate.
Read the full report on this story here:
The high court’s decision has already had an impact on other cases today, the PA news agency reported.
A senior judge has put off the plea hearing at the Old Bailey of four alleged pro-Palestine protesters at the request of the defendants’ counsel to allow them time to consider the ruling.
The defendants are charged with a single count of criminal damage on 26 August 2025. It is alleged they “destroyed or damaged property to a value estimated to be over £1m belonging to Moog Inc” in Pendeford, Staffordshire, without lawful excuse.
