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Palestine Action ban appeal enters closed proceedings at UK Supreme Court
The UK Supreme Court’s appeal hearing over the ban on Palestine Action has moved into closed proceedings, after the government and the group’s co-founder’s lawyers finished their public arguments. Judges will now hear secret evidence from the government, which could inform their decision on whether the ban is lawful.
The Home Office argued that Palestine Action’s covert operations and serious property damage set it apart from a tradition of civil disobedience. Its lawyer, James Eadie KC, said damage to Israeli weapons met the legal definition of terrorism and urged the court to defer to Parliament’s decision to impose the ban.
In short
- The Supreme Court appeal has moved into closed proceedings.
- Judges are due to hear secret government evidence.
- The Home Office says damage to Israeli weapons met the definition of terrorism.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the ban argue that deliberately damaging property in covert operations can create serious risks and may meet the legal definition of terrorism, making it distinct from ordinary civil disobedience. They say Parliament must be able to restrict a group where the evidence indicates a threat to public safety, and that the court should give proper weight to its judgement.
The case against
Opponents argue that a terrorism ban is an exceptionally serious restriction on association and political protest, and should not be used to suppress disruptive activism merely because it targets property or challenges government policy. They say the government must meet a demanding legal standard with evidence that can be meaningfully scrutinised, and that secret proceedings risk weakening public confidence in the fairness of the decision.