Legal representatives for the group's co-founder told five justices that invoking terrorism legislation against a protest organisation is unprecedented and disproportionate. The controversial proscription has paused over 1,200 pending criminal charges while sparking significant public demonstrations across the country. Ammori's defence highlighted that the Home Secretary had identified terrorism offenses in only three out of 385 recorded incidents. In contrast, Jewish communal groups argued that the network operates covertly, inflicting millions of pounds in property damage and endangering civil society.
Key points
Defence lawyers argue that applying counter-terrorism proscription powers to civil direct…: Defence lawyers argue that applying counter-terrorism proscription powers to civil direct action groups unnecessarily bypasses standard criminal law.
Opposing Jewish community groups maintain that covert operations have escalated beyond de…: Opposing Jewish community groups maintain that covert operations have escalated beyond defence contractors to threaten British civic institutions.
The impending Supreme Court ruling will directly determine the legal status of hundreds o…: The impending Supreme Court ruling will directly determine the legal status of hundreds of paused trials tied to supportive display signs.
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- Published
The banning of Palestine Action has led to a "crisis in confidence" in the UK's anti-terrorism laws and triggered unprecedented civil disobedience from law-abiding protesters, the Supreme Court has been told.
Opening a major legal challenge to the group's proscription last year, lawyers for co-founder Huda Ammori said that no other protest organisation had been treated the same way.
They told the five justices that the UK's highest court had never before had to consider whether banning a group under terrorism legislation was compatible with freedom of speech and protest.
Twenty-seven protesters were arrested outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday as the hearing took place, the Metropolitan Police said.
Lawyers for Ammori told the court that thousands of elderly people, many veterans of other radical causes, had been arrested for holding up signs supportive of the group since its proscription.
Home Office figures seen by the BBC indicate that there have been more than 4,000 arrests so far at protests in which people have held up signs supportive of the group.
In practice, many demonstrators have been arrested…
Demonstrators gathered as a legal challenge launched to overturn the government's decision to classify Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Defense lawyers argued before the UK Supreme Court that the direct-action group's activities do not warrant proscription and lack any advocacy of violence against individuals. The outcome of the two-day hearing could establish a major precedent regarding how direct-action protest groups are designated under UK counter-terrorism laws.
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