London: Palestine Action has faced a significant legal setback after losing an urgent Court of Appeal challenge aimed at temporarily halting its designation as a terror group in the UK. This decision came less than two hours before the ban was scheduled to take effect.
According to Ghana News Agency, Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, had earlier approached the High Court to seek a temporary injunction against the UK government's decision to label the group as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act 2000. However, Justice Chamberlain denied this request, allowing the proscription to proceed as planned at midnight.
Ammori's legal team escalated the matter to the Court of Appeal on Friday evening. At approximately 10:30 pm (2130 GMT), Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, along with Lord Justice Lewis and Lord Justice Edis, refused to grant the temporary block. Baroness Carr noted that there was "no real prospect of a successful appeal" and highlighted that any potential appeal to the Supreme Court would not be feasible before the midnight deadline.
Raza Husain KC, representing Ammori, sought to classify the case as a "point of general public importance" to pave the way for a Supreme Court hearing. However, this request was also declined. The judges advised that any new application should be filed before 4 pm on Monday.
Justice Chamberlain, in his earlier ruling, emphasized the strong public interest in enforcing the order, outweighing the potential harm to Palestine Action if interim relief was denied. Blinne Ni Ghralaigh KC, also representing Ammori, argued that the judge had misjudged the balance between her client's interests and those of the Home Office. She asserted that the proscription could unfairly criminalize individuals associated with Palestine Action, even for non-violent protest activities.
Ni Ghralaigh further argued that the ban would have a "chilling effect" on free speech and could cause "irreparable harm" due to its ambiguous terms. However, Ben Watson KC, for the Home Office, defended Justice Chamberlain's judgment as thorough and appropriate, given the time constraints. Watson acknowledged the potential impacts on free speech but maintained that the judge had conducted a careful analysis of the situation.
The ruling marks a critical moment for Palestine Action as the UK government moves forward with the terror designation, raising concerns about the broader implications for protest groups and free speech rights.
