Banning Palestine Action an 'abuse of power', High Court told
The ban means that membership of, or support for, the direct action group is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
On July 4, Ammori failed in a High Court bid to temporarily block the ban coming into effect, with the Court of Appeal dismissing a challenge over that decision less than two hours before the proscription came into force on July 5.
The case returned to the High Court in London on Monday, where lawyers for Ammori asked a judge to grant the green light for a full legal challenge against the decision to ban the group, saying it was an 'unlawful interference' with freedom of expression.
Raza Husain KC said: 'We say the proscription of Palestine Action is repugnant to the tradition of the common law and contrary to the [European Convention on Human Rights].'
The barrister continued: 'The decision is so extreme as to render the UK an international outlier.'
Husain added: 'The decision to proscribe Palestine Action had the hallmarks of an authoritarian and blatant abuse of power.'
'The consequences are not just limited to arrest,' Husain later said, telling the court there was 'rampant uncertainty' in the aftermath of the ban.
Blinne Ni Ghralaigh KC, also for Ammori, later said: 'The impacts [of proscription] have already been significant.'
She continued: 'Dozens and dozens of people have been arrested for protesting, seated and mostly silent protest.'
The barrister later told the court that Merseyside Police had bailed arrested protesters with a condition not to mention Palestine.
'People have been bailed to not mention Palestine?' Justice Chamberlain asked, with Ms Ni Ghralaigh replying: 'It is a condition of bail that they do not mention Palestine.'
'The Secretary of State has not distanced herself from any of these actions,' she continued, adding that Cooper had not described actions like this as an 'overreach'.
The Home Office is defending the legal challenge.
READ MORE: Three men arrested under Terrorism Act after national Palestine demo in Edinburgh
Previously, Ben Watson, for the Home Office, said Palestine Action could challenge the Home Secretary's decision at the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission (POAC), a specialist tribunal, rather than at the High Court.
James Eadie, representing the department on Monday, said that an 'exceptional case' would be needed for it to go to the High Court, rather than the POAC.
He said: 'Judicial review is, and has been accepted to be, a remedy of last resort and that is for very good and well-established reasons.'
However, Husain told the court on Monday morning that the POAC was not 'convenient nor effective' in this case.
He continued: 'It would be quite absurd to say that we should tolerate the consequences of the proscription […] even if it is unlawful, and just go to POAC.
'That is an absurd position.'
In written submissions, Eadie (above) said that by causing serious damage to property, Palestine Action was 'squarely' within part of the terrorism laws used in proscription.
He said: 'There is no credible basis on which it can be asserted that the purpose of this activity is not designed to influence the government, or to intimidate the public or a section of the public, and for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.'
Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action on June 23, stating that the vandalism of the two planes, which police said caused an estimated £7 million of damage, was 'disgraceful'.
More than 100 people were arrested across the country during demonstrations this weekend protesting against the proscription, with protests held in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol and Truro on Saturday.
Saturday's arrests brought the total number of people arrested since the ban came into force to more than 200, with more than 72 arrested across the UK last weekend and 29 the week before.
The hearing before Justice Chamberlain concluded on Monday, with the judge saying he would give his decision on July 30.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Heartache for Bayesian yacht victim Mike Lynch's family – estate faces bankruptcy after court demands it hand over £700M
IT was a tragedy that claimed the lives of a billionaire father and his daughter, drowned in a storm at sea. British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch was out celebrating his acquittal from US fraud charges when his £38million yacht Bayesian was knocked sideways by a sudden 80mph gust and started taking in water. 6 6 6 As the boat sank rapidly, his wife Angela Bacares was pulled to safety by a crew member — but Lynch, their 18-year-old daughter Hannah and five others on board never made it out. Now, as the one-year anniversary approaches next month, 58-year-old businesswoman Angela is facing a financial battle. There is the potential of court action by the families of the victims who died on the yacht — and earlier this week, the UK's High Court ruled that her husband's estate owes US tech giant Hewlett-Packard more than £700million relating to fraud claims. The case was brought six years ago by HP after they acquired his company Autonomy in 2011. The firm claimed Lynch and the former chief financial officer had fraudulently inflated its value. While Lynch was facing court action in America, HP was already chasing him through the civil courts in Britain — leading to this week's damages ruling. The High Court ruled that HP had paid a lot more than it would have done 'had Autonomy's true financial position been correctly presented' during the sale. If his estate — which goes to Angela and her remaining daughter Esme, 22 — ends up having to pay, it will almost certainly be bankrupted, leaving no inheritance for the family. It is believed Lynch shielded his wife's personal fortune from the messy court cases. She owned millions of pounds worth of shares held in her name in other family firms. I found doomed Bayesian I saw still haunts me And she made more than £15million from the sale of her shares when Autonomy was taken over. One pal told us: 'Mike wasn't perfect but he wasn't a criminal in any way, shape or form. He had asked various Cabinet ministers and Prime Ministers, including Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson, to help him. 'Rishi and Johnson were more interested in making post- Brexit trade deals than making any trouble on Mike's behalf. 'Rishi and Johnson were more interested in making post-Brexit trade deals than making any trouble on Mike's behalf. 'These cases hung over him for years and he ended up under house arrest in San Francisco unable to leave for months, facing charges that he was ultimately cleared of. 'He helped a lot of people make a lot of money but they assumed he was guilty as charged and then ran a million miles. 'He was abandoned by his peer group and by his government then, when he won his US case, everyone wanted to be his friend again. 'The irony is he had gone out on the Bayesian to celebrate the US court outcome. "It's been one tragedy after another for his family.' The latest damages ruling had been delayed until this week because of the circumstances surrounding the yachting disaster on August 19 last year. The judge expressed his 'sorrow at the devastating turn of events' at sea and offered 'sympathy and deepest condolences'. 'STILL GRIEVING' He even said that he 'admired' Lynch, despite ruling against him. Insiders have told The Sun that the family want to appeal the High Court decision. Our source said: 'It's not just about money, it's about restoring Mike's reputation. "The family are considering their next move but we all know that appealing these sorts of decisions is lengthy and costly. "They are also still grieving their loss.' Lynch created software company Autonomy, which processed people's information and data, in 1996. He sold it to Hewlett-Packard for £8.6billion in 2011. The businessman reportedly netted around £500million from the deal before going on to set up tech investment firm Invoke Capital. Just a year after the mega-bucks deal, HP wrote down Autonomy's value by £6.5billion and brought a £4billion lawsuit against Lynch and ex-finance officer Sushovan Hussain. The allegations that they inflated the value of the company were investigated by the UK Serious Fraud Office too, who found 'insufficient evidence' of wrongdoing — but some aspects of the case were then handed over to US authorities. In 2018, Lynch and Autonomy's former vice-president of finance Stephen Chamberlain were charged with fraud in the US and accused of making false and misleading statements about their company. But both were acquitted following a sensational three-month trial in San Francisco, where Lynch had been extradited to in 2023. If Lynch had been found guilty, he would have faced up to 25 years in prison. 6 He told reporters last year that given his poor health, he would have almost certainly died in jail. The pair were still celebrating their win when Chamberlain, 52, died after being hit by a car while out running near his home in Cambridgeshire. Two days later, the Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily, claiming the lives of Lynch, Hannah, the vessel's cook Recaldo Thomas, high-profile US lawyer Chris Morvillo, his wife Neda and British banking couple Jonathan and Judy Bloomer. As part of a criminal investigation by Italian authorities, the yacht was raised from the sea bed last month. That inquiry may not conclude until 2027, bringing more heartache for the Lynch family. James Healy-Pratt, a US lawyer representing the family of chef Recaldo, said they would push for compensation from Angela, the crew and yacht management company Camper & Nicholsons. As one of the country's most successful entrepreneurs, Lynch had a life of luxury, enjoying exotic holidays and a £6milliion country mansion in Suffolk, which boasts 2,500 acres. The close family are said to have loved spending time at home, breeding rare livestock, including Suffolk sheep and Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, which roamed free in the estate's woodland. But the businessman came from humble beginnings. Born to Irish parents — a firefighter father and nurse mother — Lynch won a scholarship to a private school in Essex. Mike worked hard but was very much a family man and wanted to make life as normal for his children as it could be, given the extreme wealth Andrew Kanter He went on to gain a PhD in mathematical computing from Cambridge University. A friend said: 'He really was a genius. "He was just a brilliant mathematician and his life transformed as he built companies. 'He was a very early advocate of artificial intelligence — the very field in which we need expertise in this country.' Long-time friend Andrew Kanter, who was a pallbearer at Lynch's funeral, said: 'He was never happier than when someone asked to see the pigs on his estate. 'Mike worked hard but was very much a family man and wanted to make life as normal for his children as it could be, given the extreme wealth. 'He never let his legal issues get in the way and did everything to make sure his kids grew up untroubled by whatever the world lay at his feet.' 'I truly believe that Mike would have looked at the UK ruling as a good day. "Although the numbers are crazy, even the judge has found that Hewlett-Packard had overstated its claim. 'Mike would have continued to fight this. "He always argued that a law that allows America to extradite British citizens and not have a return agreement was really flawed. 'It's been the case for 15 years and he was going to have that fight too. 'The legal issues weighed heavily on him but he never let it affect his family. 'I never saw him sitting around self-pitying. He wanted to clear his name. 'The loss of Mike is an incalculable loss for technology. 'He was utterly devoted to its growth in Britain.' 6 6
STV News
3 hours ago
- STV News
Watchdog clears former Angus Provost over outburst that left colleague in tears
A watchdog has cleared the former Angus Provost Brian Boyd following an outburst which left a fellow councillor in tears. A Standards Commission hearing was held earlier this month regarding his conduct towards fellow councillor Lois Speed last June. The exchange unfolded when Cllr Speed began to ask a question before being interrupted by Mr Boyd, who stood up and said: 'Cllr Speed, when I stand up, everyone here sits down,' before reading out the standing orders. He added: 'When the convener starts to speak, any member who is standing will resume his or her seat. 'No other member will stand and the convener will be heard without interruption. 'Have I made myself clear?' Cllr Speed attempted to return to her question but was visibly emotional and left the room. Mr Boyd had resigned as Provost following the incident, which came during a discussion regarding the removal of early years practitioner posts from primary one classrooms. Councilor Speed had called an emergency motion at a full council meeting aiming to reverse this. However, the motion was ruled not competent by Mr Boyd. A report from the Standards Commission panel details that 'on the face of it' Mr Boyd breached section 3.1 of the Councillors Code of Conduct. This dictates that elected members should treat everyone with 'courtesy and respect'. However, the report added that having taken into account Mr Boyd's right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, a formal finding of breach could not be made. The panel also concuded that Mr Boyd's outburst was not sexist in nature. The report said: 'The Panel considered that in, essentially, reprimanding her so publicly in circumstances where such action was not warranted, the respondent was disrespectful and discourteous towards Councillor Speed. 'The Panel nevertheless wished to make it clear that it accepted the respondent's position that his conduct towards Councillor Speed had nothing whatsoever to do with her sex.' However, the written decision also reveals that an Ethical Standards Commissioner (ESC) representative had argued that the conduct in question could have a 'chilling effect' on Councillor Speed. It added: 'While the ESC's representative accepted that the erspondent's reaction did not relate to Councillor Speed's sex, she contended nevertheless that it could have the effect of discouraging women from participating in politics.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
Turnberry turned into ‘American prison' for Trump's arrival
Turnberry resort has been transformed into an 'American prison', complete with high fencing and 'sniper towers', for Donald Trump's visit. The US president touched down in Scotland on Friday evening for a few days of golf at his resort in Ayrshire ahead of a trip to Aberdeen next week. Campaign groups have vowed to welcome Mr Trump with a 'festival of resistance', aiming to make their voice heard on issues from climate change to the plight of Palestinians. Gavin Scott, an independent councillor for Girvan and South Carrick, said police had gone above and beyond to deter potential disruption. He told The Telegraph: 'A local resident likened the high fencing and sniper tower surrounding the golf course to an American prison, finding the view quite disturbing and intimidating with a large armed police presence.' Trump Turnberry has become a lightning rod for protest groups targeting the president this year. Palestine Action daubed the resort's white buildings in red paint in March and Greenpeace created a sand portrait of Mr Trump on the beach by the course beside a message reading: 'Time to fight the billionaire takeover'. Earlier this week, protesters sabotaged a sign at Mr Trump's golf course in Aberdeenshire with a placard that claimed the luxury resort was 'twinned with Epstein Island'. The stunt was staged by the political campaign group Everyone Hates Elon as the US president faces renewed scrutiny over his past links to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and sex offender who died in 2024. On Monday, White House communications director Stephen Cheung said Trump once kicked Epstein out of his club for being a 'creep' and called allegations about him 'recycled, old fake news'. Mr Trump's visit to the UK will include hosting Sir Keir Starmer for dinner before travelling to the 'oil capital of Europe' Aberdeen for 'lunches' and opening the new golf course at his resort at Menie. Mr Trump told reporters at the White House that 'Turnberry is rated the number one golf course in the world'. 'I'm going to see it for the first time in years,' he said, adding: 'It's the best resort in the world, I think. It's one of the greatest courses.' Mr Scott said there had been murmurs of discontent around the villages over 'who's footing the bill' for the extra security. 'To ask Police Scotland or our own government to pay for an already undermanned police force is quite ridiculous and grossly unfair,' he said. Cllr Alec Clark, deputy leader of South Ayrshire Council, said there would always be 'associated costs for any world leaders visit'. 'This is a democracy and people are entitled to make their feelings known,' he told The Telegraph. Emma Bond, Asst Chief Constable, encouraged protest groups to discuss their plans with police. She said: 'As you can imagine, it is a large-scale, complex operation, but actually that's something that Police Scotland is immensely experienced at doing.' The policing plan involves local, national and specialist officers from Police Scotland as well as other forces. She said: 'The key very much is to make sure the president of the United States can come, enjoy a peaceful and safe visit to Scotland and ensure Police Scotland is able to maintain delivery of services to the rest of the community within Scotland over the period of his visit.' Despite the protests, Mr Scott said most residents were supportive of Mr Trump. 'The feeling on the ground here in Girvan and surrounding villages is mainly of excitement and quite happy about President Trump's visit,' he said, pointing out that Mr Trump had refurbished the hotel and tended to the world famous course. 'Something tells me he is using his round to help persuade the R&A to return 'The Open' to Turnberry, we all wish him well on that one, what an achievement that would be!' The Ailsa course at Turnberry, sporting views of the granite craig in the Firth of Clyde and across to the Isle of Arran and the Mull of Kintyre, has hosted the Open championship four times. The course last hosted the British golf tournament in 2009 and Mr Trump is thought to be eyeing up one of the next free slots from 2028 onwards. 'No friend of Scotland' Campaign groups will gather by the William Wallace Statue at Union Terrace in Aberdeen, as well as outside the US consulate in Edinburgh on Saturday. Speaking ahead of the protests, Alena Ivanova, a campaigner with the Stop Trump Coalition said: 'Donald Trump may shake hands with our leaders, but he's no friend of Scotland. 'We, the people of Scotland, see the damage he has done – to democracy and working people in the US, to the global efforts to tackle the climate crisis, to the very principles of justice and humanity.' She added: 'As he dreams of rivieras built on the bones of Palestinians, we demand an end to the genocide. 'Trump is not welcome because he represents all that Scottish people reject.' Liz Murray, head of Scottish campaigns at Global Justice Now who are a part of the Stop Trump Coalition added: 'Trump is bullying his way around the world, slapping tariffs on countries, or threatening to – and that includes us here. 'He's using these threats to impose the interests of his oligarch friends on us – and in particular the Big Tech barons who have his ear – when actually governments should be taxing them and reining in their power. 'It's vital that both Keir Starmer and John Swinney stand up to him – because if they give him an inch on this or anything else he'll take a mile.'
