Government loses bid to block Palestine Action challenging terror designation

The government has lost its bid to stop Palestine Action from pursuing a High Court challenge against its designation as a terrorist organisation, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

Huda Ammori was taking legal action over then-home secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to proscribe the group under anti-terror laws.

The ban, which started on July 5, makes membership of, or support for, the direct action group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Mr Justice Chamberlain had cleared Ms Ammori to proceed with a challenge over the ban, ruling that two arguments put forward on her behalf were “reasonably arguable”.

The Home Office then challenged this decision at the Court of Appeal in September.

Lawyers for the Home Office previously told the court that instead of the High Court, Ms Ammori could take her case to the home secretary and then the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission.

More than 2,000 people have been arrested since Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation, according to campaign group Defend Our Juries.