Less than a year after the UK formally recognised the State of Palestine, a Court of Appeal ruling has laid bare the scale of criminal proceedings linked to pro-Palestine activism, revealing hundreds of active cases connected to the banned campaign group Palestine Action as a series of other high-profile prosecutions continue through the courts.
In a judgment issued on 15 June, the Court of Appeal upheld the Home Office's decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a "terrorist organisation". In doing so, the court disclosed there were "more than 700 cases before the criminal courts in England and Wales, as well as many others still at the pre-charge stage" relating to the group.
The figures provide the clearest indication yet of the scale of criminal proceedings arising from support for Palestine Action since the organisation was banned in July 2025.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), 138 people have so far been charged with terrorism offences after expressing support for the proscribed group.
Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, has previously said prosecutors were continuing to make charging decisions following arrests and expect further charges in the coming weeks.
The group's founder, Huda Ammori, alongside several international human rights organisations, is seeking permission to challenge the Court of Appeal's ruling before the UK's highest court after her bid to overturn the ban was rejected.
The latest developments come as criminal proceedings linked to Palestine Action continue elsewhere in the courts.
At London's Old Bailey, eight defendants are currently standing trial over an alleged break-in at an Elbit Systems factory in Bristol in August 2024.
On Monday, one of the defendants, William Plastow, was found not guilty of violent disorder after the judge ruled there was insufficient evidence for that charge to proceed. The remaining defendants continue to face charges including criminal damage and violent disorder, which they deny. The trial is ongoing.
The legal scrutiny also extends beyond Palestine Action itself to prominent figures in Britain's wider pro-Palestine movement.
Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign , and Chris Nineham, vice-chair of the Stop the War Coalition (StWC), are due to appear before the Court of Appeal in December as they challenge suspended prison sentences imposed after they were convicted of breaching police-imposed protest conditions during a demonstration outside the BBC in January 2025.
The protest was organised over the broadcaster's coverage of Israel's war on Gaza . Following their convictions, the CPS said the case served as a reminder that while people have the right to protest, they must comply with restrictions imposed under the law and that prosecutors would continue to pursue cases where such restrictions were breached.
A separate criminal trial is scheduled for February 2027 involving Sophie Bolt, general secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and Alex Kenny, chair of StWC. The pair face charges arising from the same demonstration and have publicly denied wrongdoing.
Several other high-profile proceedings involving supporters of the Palestinian cause remain active.
Sarah Cotte, a former SOAS University of London student, is awaiting a jury verdict at the Old Bailey after being charged with inviting support for Hamas, a proscribed organisation under UK law. She denies the charges.
The case has attracted support from dozens of student groups, trade unions and academics, who have signed public statements backing Cotte.
British-Palestinian reconstructive surgeon Professor Ghassan Abu Sittah also remains the subject of ongoing regulatory proceedings following complaints from pro-Israel groups about his public comments on Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service twice found no evidence that he had incited violence or hatred and upheld his right to freedom of expression.
However, following appeals by the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Professional Standards Authority, the case has been referred to the High Court, where proceedings remain ongoing.
Supporters held a demonstration outside the GMC's headquarters in London last week while the legal process continues.
Another case due before the courts is that of British-Palestinian orthopaedic surgeon Dr Rahmeh Aladwan, whose trial is scheduled to begin in March 2027.
Aladwan faces charges including inviting support for Hamas, as well as offences related to stirring up racial hatred. She denies the allegations.
Her defence team has said the prosecution concerns political expression, while prosecutors allege criminal offences were committed. The proceedings remain active before the courts.
Separately, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service suspended Aladwan from the medical register for 15 months following findings relating to social media posts. The tribunal concluded the posts could undermine public confidence in the medical profession. No complaints were made about her treatment of patients.