The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court ruling and found the UK government’s ban on the direct action group Palestine Action to be lawful.
In February, the High Court found that then Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's decision to proscribe the group was "unlawful" and "discriminatory", following a challenge brought by the group's co-founder Huda Ammori.
It ruled that the ban constituted a breach of the European Convention of Human Rights as it entailed "a very significant" interference with rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. It further held that the ban was not consistent with the home secretary's own policy.
The government immediately stated its intention to appeal the ruling, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood saying she was “disappointed” with the outcome, adding that the ban "followed a rigorous and evidence-based decision-making process".
UK Court of Appeal rules Palestine Action ban to be lawful
