The Home Office has lost its appeal against a High Court decision to grant permission to the legal challenge to the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.

Posted: 17th October 2025

The Home Office has lost its appeal against a High Court decision to grant permission to the legal challenge to the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.

The case challenging Palestine Action’s proscription was granted permission to go ahead in August. The Government appealed against that decision but has been unsuccessful – meaning the legal case will go ahead.  

We welcome the fact that a court will have the chance to scrutinise whether the Government acted lawfully when it proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist group. Liberty is intervening in the case alongside Amnesty International UK to assist the court in this decision, particularly on whether it was a proportionate use of the UK’s counter terror laws.

In our application to the court, we have criticised the UK’s definition of terrorism as being “extremely broad” and said it “extends beyond international definitions”.  

Broad counter terror powers and a lack of clarity on where the line is drawn on criminal liability have discouraged people from engaging in protest due to the risk of incurring sentences of up to 14 years in prison.

We have seen thousands of arrests of protesters related to the proscription of Palestine Action so far, with hundreds of people charged under the Terrorism Act. The vast majority of arrests have been due to holding signs or placards deemed as supportive of Palestine Action.

The hearing is set to take place from Tuesday 25 November, We will be sure to keep you updated on any developments.

Best wishes,

Sam Grant

Director of External Relations