UK Home Office loses bid to block Palestine Action from challenging ban as terror group

The UK Home Office has lost its appeal to block Palestine Action from challenging its ban as a terror group. 

The Court of Appeal on Friday dismissed the government's attempt to stop the judicial review of its decision to ban the group. 

During the judgement, four judges, including the Lady Chief Justice, also granted Palestine Action's co-founder, Huda Ammori, two further grounds to challenge the ban, that were previously rejected. 

These grounds include that the Home Secretary, at the time, failed to consider relevant information or/and considered irrelevant information, and that she failed to follow her published policy "which prescribes that certain factors may be taken into account".

Following Friday's judgement, Ammori praised the decision and described it as an "authoritarian ban" that must be opposed.  

"This is a landmark victory : not only against one of the most extreme attacks on civil liberties in recent British history, but for the fundamental principle that government ministers can and must be held accountable when they act unlawfully," Ammori said. 

"Arresting peaceful protestors and those disrupting the arms trade in a dangerous misuse of counter-terror resources, with over 2,000 people having now been arrested." 

Friday's decision means a judicial review on the ban of Palestine Action will go ahead on November 25th where the group can now argue against the ban on the additional grounds. 

Last month, the Home Office argued at the appeal that the proper forum to challenge Palestine Action's ban as a terror group was via the existing Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission, which parliament designated for this purpose, rather than a judicial review. 

But the Appeal Court on Friday agreed with Mr Justice Chamberlain's previous ruling that a judicial review was a much faster method of  addressing whether Palestine Action should be designated as a terror organisation. 

Earlier this year, former UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper banned Palestine Action and designated the direct-action group as a terrorist organisation. 

The ban means expressing support or membership of the group is a criminal offence and could lead to a prison sentence of up to 14 years. 

Following the ban, a group called Defend our Juries have launched a civil disobedience campaign to oppose the designation of Palestine Action as a terror group. 

According to figures compiled by Defend our Juries, more than 2,000 people have been arrested opposing the ban on Palestine Action.