Proscription of Palestine Action - Concerns raised by the United Nations

With addition 3 July 2025 , 5 July 2025, 7 July 2025, 8 July 2025, 30 July

United Nations human rights experts have raised concerns with the UK government over the proposed proscription of protest movement Palestine Action. 

Experts urge UK not to misuse terrorism laws against protest 

This is in addition to concerns raised by several organisations including Amnesty International, Liberty and European Legal Support Centre - see previous post 24 June

It is also reported that letters have been sent to Yvette Cooper from the Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol) lawyers’ group and the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers. - The Guardian 2 July 2025.

3 July 2025

On 2 July, the House of Commons voted

in favour of the proscription order. The voting was Ayes 385 to Noes 26. (Hence, some 239 MPs did not vote).

The draft order lumped Palestine Action with two other organisations (Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement) and the House could only accept or reject the Order. The House could not amend it.

Carla Denyer MP (Bristol Central - Green Party) raised this point.  

'On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. As you know, every single person who just voted no on the statutory instrument wanted to vote yes on the proscription of the Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement, but we were prevented from doing so by the cynical way in which the Government lumped together those two clearly terrorist organisations with Palestine Action, which we could not support. Can you please advise me and the other MPs who just voted no if there is any way that, in future, proscription orders for unrelated organisations could be voted on separately, so that each MP can apply their own critical assessment of whether each group has met the tests of proportionality and necessity that are required for a terrorism proscription?

I thank the hon. Lady for giving notice of her point of order. The Chair does not have the power to separate out decisions on the contents of a statutory instrument. In making her point of order, she has put her concerns on the record.'

The debate may be read at HANSARD - The debate and voting and for the House of Lords (HERE) 

The Guardian Editorial 3 July 2025 - Blurring civil disobedience and terrorism is a dangerous step

5 July 2025

The High Court refused to grant interim relief - The National 

For the judgment see Ammori v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWHC 1708 (Admin) 

An application to the Court of Appeal was dismissed - see the judgment HERE

For arrests during a protest in London see  BBC News - Arrests in London after protest

7 July 2025

Here is the Proscription Order 

8 July 2025

UK Constitutional Law Association blog - Home Secretary v Palestine Action: The constitutional implications of widening the legal understanding of terrorism

30 July 2025

High Court to hear judicial review - judgment of Chamberlain J