The UK Court of Appeal rules that the government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organization is lawful, overturning a prior High Court ruling. According to multiple outlets, five appeal judges hear the Home Office’s challenge to the earlier decision and conclude the ban amounts to a “justified and proportionate” interference with freedom of expression rights. Several reports say the court recognises the potential “chilling effect” on public protest but finds the government is entitled to a degree of deference in national security matters.

The ban follows a Home Office decision in 2025. Outlets also report that since the prohibition, large numbers of people have been arrested, including during protests outside the courts, and that hundreds of cases are pending in England and Wales. Human rights groups and other commentators cited by at least one source argue that the use of terrorism legislation in the context of a protest group overreaches international standards. Separately, one outlet notes a related London criminal case in which four Palestine Action members receive custodial sentences connected to a 2024 raid, with a terrorism-related element treated as an aggravating factor.