Activists celebrate securing Palestine Action judicial review

As reported by The National, the case to overturn the proscription of Palestine Action has secured a significant victory in the Scottish Court of Session.

Proscription

The UK proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation under home secretary Yvette Cooper in 2025. Proscribing a protest group under terror legislation in this fashion was unprecedented.

On 5 January, the Canary reported that a hearing would decide if:

a judicial review of the decision to proscribe the group Palestine Action can be pursued.

If the court agrees to a judicial review, and subsequently declares the proscription of Palestine Action unlawful, it will cease to apply in Scotland. This legal challenge is separate to the Judicial Review in England and Wales brought by Huda Ammori, one of Palestine Action’s co-founders.

If the Court of Session hears the case, and reaches a different decision, this could provoke a ‘constitutional crisis’. There is precedent in that area, for example where judicial reviews in London and Edinburgh came to opposing decisions on the legality of Boris Johnson’s prorogation of parliament in 2019.

Following the new decision made by the Scottish Court of Session, the proscription of Palestine Action will undergo a full judicial review hearing on 17-18 March. A procedural hearing will follow this.

Activists who have opposed the proscription posted about the decision, including Craig Murray who initiated the bid for a review:

I GOT THE JUDICIAL REVIEW IN SCOTLAND!!!!!!!

Of the legality in Scots law of the proscription of Palestine Action in Scotland.

Full judicial review 17 to 18 March at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

The judge Lord Young's decision just landed.

— Craig Murray (@CraigMurrayOrg) January 27, 2026

BREAKING: Big legal win for the bid to reverse the Palestine Action ban through the Scottish courts

The @CraigMurrayOrg led bid for a judicial review has been successful and will be heard in weekshttps://t.co/b1FM9z585i

— Laura Webster (@LauraEWebsterr) January 27, 2026

Featured image via indigonolan