UK Appeals Court to Rule on Palestine Action Proscription

The UK Court of Appeal is due to rule on Monday, June 16, 2026, on the British government’s decision to proscribe the activist group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. The judgment follows the government’s appeal of a High Court ruling in February 2026 that said the ban was unlawful and disproportionate.

Palestine Action was formally proscribed in July 2025, and the court’s decision will shape the group’s legal status and the enforcement powers available to authorities. The case has drawn scrutiny because it sits at the intersection of protest rights, public order and counterterrorism law.

Palestine Action was founded six years ago and says it aims to end global participation in Israel’s “genocidal and apartheid regime.” It describes its tactics as “disruptive” and says it targets companies involved in weapons manufacturing for Israel. The group has carried out actions against UK facilities linked to Elbit Systems, Leonardo, Thales and Teledyne, among others, with police saying the campaigns have resulted in millions of pounds of criminal damage.

In recent years, the group’s actions have included a six-day protest on the roof of an Elbit Systems subsidiary in 2021, damage at a Thales factory in Glasgow in 2022 that exceeded 1 million pounds ($1.3 million), and a 2024 raid on an Elbit Systems UK facility near Bristol that caused another 1 million pounds of damage. In June 2025, activists sprayed military aircraft at a Royal Air Force base, an incident that was followed by a parliamentary vote in favour of proscription.

Why the ruling matters

The proscription places Palestine Action in the same legal category as armed groups including al-Qaeda and ISIL. Critics of the ban argue that while the group’s actions have involved significant property damage, they do not amount to terrorism. More than 130 public figures have opposed the designation, according to the report.

Authorities have also taken action against people accused of supporting the group. The repoReports indicate that more than 1,600 arrests linked to support for Palestine Action were made in the three months after the proscription took effect.

Recent court cases tied to the group

Separately, a London court recently sentenced four Palestine Action activists to prison terms of about five to eight years for criminal damage at an Elbit Systems facility. The court ruled their actions had a “terrorist connection,” meaning the individuals will be recorded as “terrorists” for life and face strict reporting requirements.

The Court of Appeal decision is expected to clarify whether the government’s proscription can stand, and it will be closely watched for its implications for policing, prosecutions and the legal boundaries of disruptive protest.