PCS welcomes High Court decision on unlawful ban of Palestine Action

The Court’s judgement is a significant and damning rebuke of the government’s approach, making clear that activists from Palestine Action did not meet the “very high bar” required to designate an organisation as terrorist.

The judgment vindicates the widespread concern across the trade union movement that the decision to proscribe Palestine Action was politically motivated and represented a dangerous overreach of counter‑terror legislation.

Last September at TUC Congress, PCS called on the government to urgently “repeal the authoritarian proscription of Palestine Action under counter-terrorism laws” - a move that won the unanimous backing of the entire trade union movement. Today’s decision reaffirms what the union and many others have long argued, which is counter-terror powers must not be misused to silence protest or dissent.

However, the existing ban will remain in place until at least the next hearing on 20 February, when the Court will consider next steps, including the possibility of a government appeal.

PCS urges the government to respect the ruling, end the proscription without delay, and commit to upholding civil liberties and the right to protest.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “Today’s ruling is a clear sign that the Home Office went too far in trying to use counter‑terror laws to shut down protest. The Court’s ruling is exactly what PCS, and many others have been saying from the start. It’s completely wrong that the ban is still in place, even temporarily, and the government should drop it now instead of doubling down.

“People have a right to protest, and counter‑terror powers should never be used to silence them”