Government can challenge group’s appeal against ban

The Home Office has been given the green light to challenge a High Court ruling which allowed Palestine Action to appeal its ban under terror legislation.

The group’s co-founder, Huda Ammori, was granted permission to appeal in July after her lawyers argued the ban breaches the right to free speech.

Lawyers for the government were initially denied permission to appeal against that court ruling, but in an order seen by the PA news agency, a Court of Appeal judge said he believed “the [government’s] appeal has a real prospect of success”.

Lord Justice Underhill added that it was “highly desirable” for the government’s appeal to be heard “as soon as possible”, with a date now set for 25 September.

The case brought by Ms Ammori is currently scheduled to be heard during a three-day hearing in November.

The move to proscribe Palestine Action was taken after activists broke into an RAF base and damaged two military aircraft.

A ban came into force on 5 July, and more than 700 people have since been arrested by the Metropolitan Police over alleged support for the group.

In response to the latest ruling, Ms Ammori said: “The political misstep by Yvette Cooper has led to hundreds facing prosecution under the Terrorism Act, leading to a much wider chilling effect on freedom of speech”.

She added that in “doubling down” in her attempt to seek permission to appeal the judge’s ruling allowing the group to challenge the ban, the home secretary was “trying to avoid scrutiny of her decision”.

Cooper has previously defended the organisation’s proscription, saying last month that some of its supporters “don’t know the full nature” of the group, adding that it was “not a non-violent organisation”.

The group lost a bid to temporarily lift the ban, as well as a subsequent bid to appeal against that court ruling, in early July.

But following a court hearing on 30 July, Mr Justice Chamberlain ruled that Ms Ammori could proceed with the legal challenge.

In his ruling, he said the ban might conflict with rights to free speech and the home secretary could have consulted Palestine Action before going ahead.