Following Permission to Appeal the Proscription of Palestine Action as a Terrorist Organisation
Huda Ammori: The Legal Status of More Than 3,500 Supporters Previously Arrested on Suspicion of Supporting Palestine Action Will Remain Unresolved
31 July 2026 – United Kingdom
Huda Ammori
“The proscription of Palestine Action has become a vehicle for suppressing solidarity with the Palestinian people
The UK Supreme Court Grants Ammori Permission to Challenge the Proscription of the Group
Protesters now face sentences of up to 14 years in prison
Among those arrested were an 87-year-old woman who uses a wheelchair and Sir Jonathon Porritt, 76, former director of Friends of the Earth and a former adviser to the Prince of Wales, now King Charles, for more than 30 years
The UK Supreme Court granted Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, permission to challenge the decision to proscribe the group as a terrorist organisation, following months of legal proceedings aimed at overturning the ban
The British government designated Palestine Action a “terrorist organisation” in July of last year. Ammori continued to challenge the decision amid a widespread civil disobedience campaign opposing the proscription
In February, the High Court ruled that the ban was unlawful and disproportionate. However, the Court of Appeal overturned that ruling last month
On Thursday, 30 July 2026, the Supreme Court announced that it had agreed to hear Ammori’s appeal against the Court of Appeal judgment. The case is expected to be heard during the final quarter of this year
This means that the legal position of more than 3,500 people arrested since the ban was imposed on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action will remain unresolved, as their cases have been put on hold pending a final ruling on the lawfulness of the proscription
:Ammori welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, stating
“The proscription of Palestine Action has become a vehicle for a much broader crackdown on all forms of solidarity with the Palestinian people”
:She added
“This unprecedented attack on freedom of expression and the right to protest in this country is already having a chilling effect, at a time when speaking out about Israel’s crimes could not be more urgent”
Ammori had applied directly to the Supreme Court after the Court of Appeal refused, within hours of the application being submitted, to grant permission to appeal its own judgment
A Case of Constitutional Significance
The Court of Appeal heard the case before a panel of five judges, an unusual arrangement, as such panels normally consist of two or three judges
:The panel included two of the country’s most senior judges
Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr
Master of the Rolls Geoffrey Vos
The Supreme Court stated that it was arguable that the proscription constituted a disproportionate interference with the rights protected under Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which respectively safeguard:
Freedom of expression
Freedom of assembly and protest
Possible Referral to the European Court of Human Rights
Ammori confirmed that she would continue challenging the ban and that, should the UK courts uphold it, she would take the case to the European Court of Human Rights
:The proscription has also been criticised by
Civil liberties organisations
United Nations experts
Politicians from across the political spectrum
New Arrests During Protests
At the same time as the Supreme Court’s decision was announced, police arrested dozens of people on allegations related to
Supporting Palestine Action
Belonging to the organisation
Encouraging others to join it
During a protest outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London, demonstrators took turns declaring their support for, or membership of, Palestine Action. Many then lay down before being carried away and arrested by police officers
Among those arrested were
An 87-year-old woman using a wheelchair
Sir Jonathon Porritt, 76, former director of Friends of the Earth and a former adviser to the Prince of Wales, now King Charles, for more than 30 years
Dick Scroop, 79, from Wolverhampton, who said
“There is a genocide in which the British government is deeply implicated through its diplomatic efforts and the continuing supply of weapons to Israel. The attempt to suppress legitimate protest through the use of anti-terrorism laws is completely unacceptable. It is an assault on freedom of expression”
Sentences of Up to 14 Years
By publicly declaring support for, or membership of, Palestine Action, protesters now risk sentences of up to 14 years’ imprisonment if convicted before a jury
This represents a significant escalation compared with many earlier arrests involving people holding placards in support of the group. Those cases were generally dealt with before magistrates’ courts and carried a maximum sentence of six months in prison
The Metropolitan Police announced that 117 people had been arrested, most of them on suspicion of “expressing support for a proscribed organisation”
Official government statistics confirm that, as of 31 March 2026, there had been 2,819 arrests connected with alleged support for Palestine Action, including
484 cases resulting in charges
2,287 people released on bail or remaining under investigation
Following subsequent arrests, the total rose to more than 3,500, according to a report by The Guardian
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