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New Statesman
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Statesman
The Palestine Action crackdown
Photo by Vuk Valcic/Getty Given the news over the weekend that more than 100 pro-Palestine protesters across the country were arrested for allegedly supporting the recently proscribed group Palestine Action, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the UK is teeming with defiant activists determined to flout the law. But on Monday (21 July) outside the Royal Courts of Justice, just a single protester stood dressed in red, white and green, her lonely Palestine flag rippling in the warm breeze. Inside, Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori was attempting to persuade a judge to allow her to challenge the group's proscription at the High Court. Founded in 2020, Palestine Action embraced direct action protests in order to disrupt the manufacturing of or sale of weapons to Israel. They have blockaded or broken into Israeli weapons factories operating in the UK, spray-painting private property and destroying equipment. Their cause, if not necessarily their methods, has broad support: a recent YouGov poll found 55 per cent of the British public think the UK Government should not approve the supply of parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper raised the prospect of proscription in June after PA campaigners sprayed paint into the engines of two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton. On 2 July, 385 MPs to 26 voted in favour of proscribing Palestine Action – the first time a non-violent direct action campaign group had ever been proscribed. On the eve of the group's official proscription two weeks ago, Ammori had argued in this same court for 'interim relief' on that decision (which was denied). Then, hundreds of protesters had furiously chanted their support for the group – as well as their opposition to Israel's war in Gaza – outside the Royal Court, a sea of anger, keffiyehs and signs declaring 'We Are All Palestine Action' spilling down the pavements of Fleet Street. But by proscribing Palestine Action, the government has made even the suggestion of support for the group a crime under the Terrorism Act 2000. Those arrested holding a sign or wearing a T-shirt with the words 'Palestine Action' can now face up to six months in prison. Those who are found guilty of belonging to the group can now be jailed for up to 14 years. Over the weekend, protests in London, Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff, Leeds and elsewhere led to the arrests of dozens of protesters, many for simply holding signs that read 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.' Among those arrested under suspicion of offences under the Terrorism Act 2000 in recent weeks: a vicar, a former government lawyer, various pensioners. On 14 July, Kent police threatened a woman with arrest under the Terrorism Act for brandishing a sign that read 'Free Gaza' yet made no reference to Palestine Action. But on Monday, there was no trace of defiant crowds outside the Royal Court of Justice. Yael Kahn, the 72-year-old lone demonstrator, told me that she was disappointed but not surprised to be the only one on the street. 'That is the aim of this proscription,' she said. 'It's not aimed just at Palestine Action. Its aim is to silence and cause us all fear.' She's not alone in that assessment. Campaigners, legal experts and politicians I have spoken to have all warned of the 'chilling effect' that the proscription of Palestine Action will have on speech opposing the war in Gaza. Khan, an Israeli Jew who now lives in London, told me that she has a long history of campaigning on behalf of Palestine. 'You know, the people who're standing today against the genocide in Gaza, I wish they were there in the Second World War when my family was exterminated. You know, that's what we need. We need that humanity. I love the people who are going out of their way and taking time off and finding lots of different ways to protest.' Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Though Kahn's sign didn't have the words 'Palestine Action' on it, it did condemn the proscription of 'PA'. Half a dozen unbothered police officers stood by as we chatted. I asked her if she was worried they would arrest her. 'Don't give them any ideas,' she joked, telling me she had been arrested several times in the past for protesting. But when I asked her if she really had no fear over possibly being charged with a terrorism offence, she turned serious. 'When I know the children are dying from starvation, babies are dying because mothers cannot breastfeed?' she asked. 'I mean, there's no way I can be silent.' [Further reading: Labour's misguided assault on Palestine Action] Related
Glasgow Times
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Law should change to allow review of cases of jailed officers, lawyer says
Matt Foot said the change would be a 'very simple reform' to prevent cases such as that of Errol Campbell, whose name was posthumously cleared at the Court of Appeal on Thursday, almost 50 years after he was convicted. Mr Campbell, who died in 2004, was found guilty in April 1977 of theft and conspiracy to steal from the Bricklayers' Arms goods depot in south London, where he was a British Rail employee, and jailed for 18 months. The case against him was led by the discredited British Transport Police (BTP) officer Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell, who, along with two colleagues, later pleaded guilty to stealing from the same depot. The assistant chief constable of the BTP said following the Court of Appeal's ruling that he was 'disgusted' by Ridgewell's actions, and the force was 'sincerely sorry' to those affected. He also said the force is continuing to 'actively pursue a criminal investigation' into those involved. Lord Justice Holroyde, sitting with Mr Justice Wall and Mr Justice Butcher, said on Thursday it was with 'regret' that the court could not undo Mr Campbell's suffering. But they said they hope clearing his name 'will at least bring some comfort' to his surviving family, including his son, Errol Campbell Jr. Speaking to the media following the hearing, Mr Foot, who represented Mr Campbell Jr, said: 'In 1980, when Ridgewell was convicted, nothing happened to his cases. 'We are calling for a change in the law that, when a police officer goes to prison, there is an automatic review of their cases to look for miscarriages of justice. 'If that had happened, that would have saved more than 45 years of misery for the Campbell family.' When asked if he had political support for the law change, Mr Foot said: 'We are talking to the Justice Select Committee, we're talking to the junior minister, and we believe that it is something that could be put into Hillsborough Law, alongside that, as a very simple reform that could stop this sort of thing ever happening again.' He also called on BTP to name those who 'harboured' Ridgewell, claiming it was 'no secret' in the 1970s that the officer was 'racist and corrupt'. Errol Campbell Jr (left) and solicitor Matt Foot speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice (Callum Parke/PA) He added that there were 'bound to be others' who were victims of miscarriages of justice. Mr Campbell unsuccessfully appealed against his conviction in 1978, but his son applied to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), with the help of the charity Appeal, to look at the case in September 2024. The CCRC had already referred the convictions of Mr Campbell's co-defendants, Saliah Mehmet and Basil Peterkin, whose convictions were quashed in January last year. Henry Blaxland KC, representing Mr Campbell on Thursday, told the court it was dealing with victims of a miscarriage of justice brought about by 'state crime'. In a statement read out by Mr Foot outside the Royal Courts of Justice following the ruling, Mr Campbell Jr said that BTP knew that Ridgewell was 'corrupt' but 'let him carry on regardless'. He continued that his father's conviction 'caused absolute misery', but that his father was 'dapper' and 'a good man'. He also said that he was 'angry that Ridgewell is not alive for this day'. In 1980, Ridgewell, along with detective constables Douglas Ellis and Alan Keeling, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal from the Bricklayers' Arms Depot, with Ridgewell dying in prison before he had completed his sentence. In a previous judgment, the court found that their criminal activities between January 1977 and April 1978 resulted in the loss from the depot of goods to the value of about £364,000, 'an enormous sum of money at that time'. In a statement, BTP Assistant Chief Constable Charlie Doyle said: 'We are sincerely sorry to those affected by the criminal actions of former BTP Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell, whose appalling actions in the 1970s and 1980s led to the criminalisation of innocent people. 'We're continuing to review records relating to his corrupt practices, which includes those relating to officers who were associated with DS Ridgewell or may have assisted him in his criminal activity, and the review team has recently been provided with additional resources to support its work. 'I am disgusted by the actions of Derek Ridgewell, and while we know we can't change the past, his actions do not represent the BTP of today. 'We continue to actively pursue a criminal investigation into the actions of those involved and will present a file to the CPS for consideration once we have completed our inquiries.'
Western Telegraph
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Law should change to allow review of cases of jailed officers, lawyer says
Matt Foot said the change would be a 'very simple reform' to prevent cases such as that of Errol Campbell, whose name was posthumously cleared at the Court of Appeal on Thursday, almost 50 years after he was convicted. Mr Campbell, who died in 2004, was found guilty in April 1977 of theft and conspiracy to steal from the Bricklayers' Arms goods depot in south London, where he was a British Rail employee, and jailed for 18 months. The case against him was led by the discredited British Transport Police (BTP) officer Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell, who, along with two colleagues, later pleaded guilty to stealing from the same depot. Lord Justice Holroyde, sitting with Mr Justice Wall and Mr Justice Butcher, said on Thursday that it was with 'regret' that the court could not undo Mr Campbell's suffering. But they said they hoped that clearing his name 'will at least bring some comfort' to his surviving family, including his son, Errol Campbell Jr. Speaking to the media following the hearing, Mr Foot, who represented Mr Campbell Jr, said: 'In 1980, when Ridgewell was convicted, nothing happened to his cases.' He continued: 'We are calling for a change in the law that, when a police officer goes to prison, there is an automatic review of their cases to look for miscarriages of justice. 'If that had happened, that would have saved more than 45 years of misery for the Campbell family.' When asked if he had political support for the law change, Mr Foot said: 'We are talking to the Justice Select Committee, we're talking to the junior minister, and we believe that it is something that could be put into Hillsborough Law, alongside that, as a very simple reform that could stop this sort of thing ever happening again.' He also called on BTP to name those who 'harboured' Ridgewell, claiming it was 'no secret' in the 1970s that the officer was 'racist and corrupt'. Errol Campbell Jr (left) and solicitor Matt Foot speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice (Callum Parke/PA) He added that there were 'bound to be others' who were victims of miscarriages of justice. Mr Campbell unsuccessfully appealed against his conviction in 1978, but his son applied to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), with the help of the charity Appeal, to look at the case in September 2024. The CCRC had already referred the convictions of Mr Campbell's co-defendants, Saliah Mehmet and Basil Peterkin, whose convictions were quashed in January last year. Henry Blaxland KC, representing Mr Campbell on Thursday, told the court it was dealing with victims of a miscarriage of justice brought about by 'state crime'. In a statement read out by Mr Foot outside the Royal Courts of Justice following the ruling, Mr Campbell Jr said that BTP knew that Ridgewell was 'corrupt' but 'let him carry on regardless'. He continued that his father's conviction 'caused absolute misery', but that his father was 'dapper' and 'a good man'. He also said that he was 'angry that Ridgewell is not alive for this day'. In 1980, Ridgewell, along with detective constables Douglas Ellis and Alan Keeling, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal from the Bricklayers' Arms Depot, with Ridgewell dying in prison before he had completed his sentence. In a previous judgment, the court found that their criminal activities between January 1977 and April 1978 resulted in the loss from the depot of goods to the value of about £364,000, 'an enormous sum of money at that time'.
Glasgow Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Wrongly jailed Malkinson hails benefits rule change, but will continue fighting
Andrew Malkinson, who was the victim of one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British legal history, will still have the right to apply for means-tested benefits despite receiving his first six-figure payout from the Government miscarriage of justice compensation scheme. A change laid in a statutory instrument in Parliament on July 1, and coming into force on July 22, means that those who receive such compensation payments can continue to claim benefits. Mr Malkinson outside the Royal Courts of Justice in 2023 after his conviction was quashed (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Mr Malkinson said: 'When I was stuck behind my cell door I would never have believed that my case would lead to so many reforms – but I am determined to tear down the system that failed me for so long and is failing so many others. 'I am intensely relieved that thanks to this change to the law, I will still have access to benefits even though the state is starting to compensate me for my wrongful conviction. 'My compensation fund is supposed to pay for the support I need to help me heal, not just day to day life, and that sort of support is expensive, especially as I will need it for so many years to come. 'And this reform will be in place for those who come after me as well.' Mr Malkinson was left living on benefits and using food banks after his release, having to wait two years to get his first interim compensation payment. The 59-year-old has already successfully campaigned to stop prison lodging costs being deducted from payouts, and has spoken out against a £1 million cap on the compensation payments, and rules under which payments are only awarded to people who can prove innocence beyond a reasonable doubt. Ministry of Justice data showed that 6.5% of people who had applied for compensation due to a miscarriage of justice between April 2016 and March 2024 were awarded payouts. Of 591 people who applied, 39 were granted compensation. Mr Malkinson said: 'I remain determined to challenge the completely unfair cap on compensation for the wrongfully convicted – and the ridiculous requirement that a person in my position be required to prove their innocence a second time to get compensated.' His solicitor Toby Wilton urged the government to lift the £1 million cap that was set in 2008. The issue again came to the fore in a separate case in May, that saw Peter Sullivan freed from jail after serving 38 years for a murder he did not commit. Mr Wilton said while the benefits change 'ends a stark injustice', further reforms are needed. 'Miscarriage of justice victims like Andy Malkinson will no longer lose their benefits or social housing on account of having received compensation under the statutory miscarriage of justice compensation scheme. 'They are free to use their compensation payments to try to rebuild their lives. 'But while Andy and other future applicants will no doubt breathe a sigh of relief, the truth is that this change tinkers around the edges of a miscarriage of justice compensation scheme which is not fit for purpose. 'Currently, compensation can only be paid to the very few applicants who can prove their innocence beyond a reasonable doubt – effectively forcing them to prove a negative. 'On top of this, the scheme arbitrarily disadvantages people like Andy who have suffered the most serious miscarriages of justice by capping compensation at £1 million. 'This cap was set in 2008 and would be worth nearly £2 million today, but while the Government has the power to change this cap or remove it, it has so far refused to do this. 'It must act now.'
Western Telegraph
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Wrongly jailed Malkinson hails benefits rule change, but will continue fighting
Andrew Malkinson, who was the victim of one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British legal history, will still have the right to apply for means-tested benefits despite receiving his first six-figure payout from the Government miscarriage of justice compensation scheme. A change laid in a statutory instrument in Parliament on July 1, and coming into force on July 22, means that those who receive such compensation payments can continue to claim benefits. Mr Malkinson outside the Royal Courts of Justice in 2023 after his conviction was quashed (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Mr Malkinson said: 'When I was stuck behind my cell door I would never have believed that my case would lead to so many reforms – but I am determined to tear down the system that failed me for so long and is failing so many others. 'I am intensely relieved that thanks to this change to the law, I will still have access to benefits even though the state is starting to compensate me for my wrongful conviction. 'My compensation fund is supposed to pay for the support I need to help me heal, not just day to day life, and that sort of support is expensive, especially as I will need it for so many years to come. 'And this reform will be in place for those who come after me as well.' Mr Malkinson was left living on benefits and using food banks after his release, having to wait two years to get his first interim compensation payment. The 59-year-old has already successfully campaigned to stop prison lodging costs being deducted from payouts, and has spoken out against a £1 million cap on the compensation payments, and rules under which payments are only awarded to people who can prove innocence beyond a reasonable doubt. Ministry of Justice data showed that 6.5% of people who had applied for compensation due to a miscarriage of justice between April 2016 and March 2024 were awarded payouts. Of 591 people who applied, 39 were granted compensation. Mr Malkinson said: 'I remain determined to challenge the completely unfair cap on compensation for the wrongfully convicted – and the ridiculous requirement that a person in my position be required to prove their innocence a second time to get compensated.' His solicitor Toby Wilton urged the government to lift the £1 million cap that was set in 2008. The issue again came to the fore in a separate case in May, that saw Peter Sullivan freed from jail after serving 38 years for a murder he did not commit. Mr Wilton said while the benefits change 'ends a stark injustice', further reforms are needed. 'Miscarriage of justice victims like Andy Malkinson will no longer lose their benefits or social housing on account of having received compensation under the statutory miscarriage of justice compensation scheme. 'They are free to use their compensation payments to try to rebuild their lives. 'But while Andy and other future applicants will no doubt breathe a sigh of relief, the truth is that this change tinkers around the edges of a miscarriage of justice compensation scheme which is not fit for purpose. 'Currently, compensation can only be paid to the very few applicants who can prove their innocence beyond a reasonable doubt – effectively forcing them to prove a negative. 'On top of this, the scheme arbitrarily disadvantages people like Andy who have suffered the most serious miscarriages of justice by capping compensation at £1 million. 'This cap was set in 2008 and would be worth nearly £2 million today, but while the Government has the power to change this cap or remove it, it has so far refused to do this. 'It must act now.'
