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Dame Victoria Sharp

Dame Victoria Sharp

President of the King's Bench Division, Lead Judge

Appears in 1 story

Notable Quotes

The nature and scale of Palestine Action's activities falling within the definition of terrorism had not yet reached the level, scale and persistence to warrant proscription. — High Court judgment, February 2026

Proscription did result in a significant interference with the right to freedom of speech and the right to freedom of assembly. — High Court judgment, February 2026

Stories

UK courts test boundaries of terrorism law against protest groups

Rule Changes

Delivered lead judgment ruling ban unlawful

Britain's High Court ruled on February 13, 2026 that the government acted illegally when it banned Palestine Action as a terrorist organization last summer—the first time a UK court has overturned a terrorism proscription through judicial review. The three-judge panel found that while the group's tactics of breaking into factories and damaging military aircraft were criminal, they did not meet the threshold for terrorism under law. The ruling calls into question arrests of more than 2,700 people and charges against 250 under the Terrorism Act.

Updated Feb 13