On 15 June 2026, the Court of Appeal ruled that the government’s decision to ban Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act was lawful, overturning a High Court judgment from February. The ruling means the group remains a proscribed organisation—a designation that carries severe criminal penalties for membership or support.
Proscription is the legal power that allows the Home Secretary to ban an organisation if it is believed to be “concerned in terrorism.” Once proscribed, it becomes a criminal offence to belong to the group, invite support for it, arrange meetings, or wear clothing or carry articles that indicate membership. The maximum penalty for membership is 14 years in prison. The decision to proscribe is made by the Home Secretary, advised by counter-terrorism experts, and can be challenged in court.
“Explains UK proscription law using the Palestine Action ban and Court of Appeal ruling.”
Palestine Action was first proscribed in June 2024 by then-Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, after the group’s activities included damaging two planes at an RAF base in Oxfordshire with red paint. It was the first group to be banned under the Terrorism Act. The group’s co-founder, Huda Ammori, challenged the ban in the High Court, which ruled in February 2026 that the decision was unlawful. However, the Court of Appeal reversed that, with Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr stating that the High Court had “materially understated” the latitude given to the Home Secretary in such decisions.
For UK readers, proscription means that any public expression of support for Palestine Action—such as holding a placard saying “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”—can lead to arrest and prosecution under section 13 of the Terrorism Act, which carries a maximum sentence of six months. More than 3,000 people have been arrested since the ban, and over 700 have been charged. The government emphasises that lawful protest for the Palestinian cause remains legal, but supporting a proscribed group is not.
Q: Does proscription ban the group itself? Yes. Once an organisation is proscribed, it is illegal for it to exist or operate in the UK. Its assets can be seized, and any activities in support of it are criminal offences.
Q: Can a proscription be overturned? Yes, by a successful legal challenge. Huda Ammori has said she plans to take her case to the UK Supreme Court and, if needed, the European Court of Human Rights.
Q: Does this affect peaceful protests for Palestine? The government says no. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that “lawful protest in support of the Palestinian cause remains a fundamental democratic right.” The ban targets only support for Palestine Action itself, not the wider pro-Palestine movement.
What happens next? Ammori has signalled she will fight the ruling further. Meanwhile, the hundreds of pending cases against people charged under section 13 of the Terrorism Act, which had been paused awaiting the appeal, are expected to resume.