Palestine Action will head to the Court of Appeal to ask for permission to challenge a High Court judge’s refusal to temporarily block it from being designated as a terror group.
Huda Ammori, the co-founder of Palestine Action, asked the High Court to temporarily block the Government from banning the group as a terrorist organisation before a potential legal challenge against the decision to proscribe it under the Terrorism Act 2000.
The move was to come into force at midnight after High Court judge Mr Justice Chamberlain refused Ms Ammori’s bid for a temporary block.
However, the PA news agency understands that lawyers on behalf of the group will ask appeal judges for the go-ahead to challenge the decision in a hearing due to begin at about 7pm on Friday.
In his decision refusing the temporary block, Mr Justice Chamberlain said: “I have concluded that the harm which would ensue if interim relief is refused but the claim later succeeds is insufficient to outweigh the strong public interest in maintaining the order in force.”
Shortly after the decision was handed down, Ms Ammori said that she would be “seeking an urgent appeal to try to prevent a dystopian nightmare of the Government’s making”.
She added: “The Home Secretary is rushing through the implementation of the proscription at midnight tonight despite the fact that our legal challenge is ongoing and that she has been completely unclear about how it will be enforced, leaving the public in the dark about their rights to free speech and expression after midnight tonight when this proscription comes into effect.
“Hundreds of thousands of people across the country have expressed support for Palestine Action by joining our mailing list, following and sharing our social media content and signing petitions, and many, including iconic figures like Sally Rooney, say they will continue to declare ‘we are all Palestine Action’ and speak out against this preposterous proscription, demonstrating how utterly unworkable it will be.”
