The High Court has ruled the UK government's ban on Palestine Action as a terror group was "unlawful and disproportionate", delivering a significant legal blow to the proscription decision made by then-Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last July. Despite the Friday ruling, the ban remains in effect as current Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to appeal.
The 46-page judgment concluded that while Palestine Action "promotes its political cause through criminality and encouragement of criminality", only "a very small number" of its 385 direct actions since 2020 amounted to terrorism. The court panel, led by Dame Victoria Sharp alongside Mr Justice Swift and Mrs Justice Steyn, stated: «We are satisfied that the decision to proscribe Palestine Action was disproportionate.»
Cooper Defends Proscription Decision
Yvette Cooper, now Foreign Secretary, defended her original decision in an interview on Sky News' Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme. She said: «I followed the clear advice and recommendations, going through a serious process that the Home Office goes through, involving different agencies and police advice as well, which was very clear about the recommendation for proscription of this group.»
Cooper emphasized the court also found Palestine Action "has committed acts of terrorism" and "is not simply in line with democratic values". She added: «If you ignore advice that you are given about risks to public safety then you're really not taking seriously the responsibilities of home secretary.»
Political Battle Lines Form
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel told Sky News she was "appalled" by the ruling and said it was "right that it should be appealed". She warned: «I think the public would be absolutely horrified to see that these individuals have been able to essentially get away with the type of activity that they have been able to thus far.»
However, 26 Labour MPs and peers, including Lord Peter Hain and John McDonnell, have written to the government urging against proceeding with the appeal.
Implications and Background
The proscription under the Terrorism Act 2000 makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support Palestine Action, carrying a penalty of up to 14 years in prison. The ruling could have implications for thousands of people arrested for supporting the group at protests across the country.
Palestine Action claimed responsibility for causing an estimated £7 million in damage to military tanker planes at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The legal challenge was initiated by co-founder Huda Ammori against the Home Office.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
