No interim suspension of proscription or of unlawful police actions against protesters
High Court judge Justice Chamberlain has granted Palestine Action (PA) co-founder Huda Ammori’s application for a judicial review of Yvette Cooper’s ‘proscription’ designation of PA as a terrorist group, apparently primarily on grounds that Cooper should have sought input from Palestinian groups.
The first stage will take place 12 sept – a secret trial hearing – then moving to judicial review in October or November to be confirmed. The government has said it can work to October, as requested by Ammori’s team, if needed. The Starmer regime wants to appeal Chamberlain’s decision at the Appeal Court in September. Chamberlain has said it won’t interrupt the judicial review process if the government’s appeal fails. The judge says disclosure must be made in open court. September is too long given that the claimants applied for disclosure in June.
The judge has not ordered the suspension of the proscription order in the meantime, despite saying in court that the actions of police in targeting expressions of support for Palestine – which he had already ruled lawful and had said would not be curtailed – showed a complete ignorance of the law, and being warned by Ammori’s lawyers that no police force has apologised for wrongful arrests or said they will not keep doing it, including arresting people for using the words ‘Palestine’ or ‘Action’ independently or even just holding a Palestine flag or keffiyeh scarf.
Chamberlain told Ammori’s lawyers that people can challenge arrests in the meantime in the criminal courts – forcing victims of police misapplication to spend fortunes on lawyers and face the stress of prosecution for the sake of protecting Israeli arms factories and (not really-) ‘RAF’ equipment being used in genocide.
United Nations Special Rapporteurs, who have condemned the proscription, have asked to make oral submissions to the hearing, which is still ongoing.
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Good news, it could have been better have the Judge decided to suspend application of the law for the time been but, still good news.
The just published extensive reports by B’Tselem and PHRI two Israeli internationally recognised Human Rights organisations, clearly stating that Israel is committing genocide, on top of the reports from Albanese and other UN officials, their is not way that the government is going to win this case.
Now it is a question of how much money is going to cost to the Tax Payer pursuing this folly.
In a time of a cost of living crisis in which many pensioners were cut for receiving payments for fuel and attacks on the disabled, Starmer’s government finds the money to pursue this case by instructing the police into prioritising detaining Palestine’s supporters.
In a summer in which pick pockets are going to be targetting tourist in London, the police would be otherwise engage detaining and bringing charges to Palestinian supporters instead of stopping or prosecuting actual crime.
Indeed Maria. It would have been surprising had he NOT refused a last-ditch bid from Palestine Action’s co-founder to block the government ban. BUT –
✅ he said police officers enforcing the ban in the last few weeks have misused or misunderstood the law when shutting down protests that promoted Palestine and the indiscriminate murder of her people but had no link to Palestine Action. ✅✅
ALSO –
When he was presented with statements from journalists, politicians, and lawyers to support the case that the ban is chilling free speech “rampant uncertainty” about what is illegal, the judge said he will give his final ruling on July 30.
The final decision was expected on 30 July 2025, but as of now (16:21), no official ruling has been published or reported.
One thing that makes me think concerns the clear fact that the police are not doing themselves any favours by acting in the way they are. If that spoof “Have You Seen This Nan?” poster really goes viral in the area of the Met, then where does that leave them in terms of serious reputation? Police representatives would enhance their own standing if they spoke on behalf of their membership to ask why the reputations of their forces are at such risk because of stupid reactions and decisions by the Home Office. The police, we are frequently told, exercise their authority with public consent; arresting 83 year old retired lady vicars protesting verifiable genocide and deliberate starvation of children and pregnant women is not up there with their greatest moments. Politically this doesn’t just look bad, but also incompetent, which is another big nail in the coffin lid of New New Labour’s reputation.
The proscription will not be rescinded – ever.
The removal of civil liberties are never temporary.