UK Court of Appeal Upholds Terrorist Designation of Palestine Action

The Court of Appeal of England and Wales ruled on June 15, 2026, that the British government's decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was lawful. This judgment reverses a February High Court ruling that had deemed the ban unlawful and disproportionate. The proscription, enacted on July 5, 2025, under the Terrorism Act 2000, makes membership or support of the group a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison and has led to approximately 3,000 arrests.

Lady Chief Justice Baroness Sue Carr characterized the group as a covert organization operating with secret cells to destroy property and cause injury, stating that portraying the group as non-violent was unsustainable. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood welcomed the ruling, asserting that the group's actions are inconsistent with democratic values and the rule of law.

The legal victory follows the sentencing of four activists to prison terms ranging from four to nearly eight years for an August 2024 raid on an Elbit Systems facility in Bristol. Judge Jeremy Johnson classified the raid as a terrorist act, which will result in the defendants being recorded as terrorists for life.

Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori condemned the ruling as an attack on free speech and a prioritization of the Israeli regime over British citizens. Ammori announced intentions to seek permission to appeal the decision to the UK Supreme Court and potentially the European Court of Human Rights.