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The UK Court of Appeal on 15 June 2026 ruled that the government’s decision to proscribe the activist group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation was lawful and proportionate, cementing the ban introduced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood last year.Ruling Details: Court’s Reasoning and Panel CompositionThe five‑judge panel, which included the two most senior judges in England and Wales, stated that “the proscription of an organisation like Palestine Action is highly controversial, but it is a fundamental mistake to overlook the fact that Palestine Action overtly promotes unlawful violence amounting to terrorism.” The judges concluded that the Home Secretary had the institutional competence and democratic accountability to make the decision, finding the policy consistent, proportionate and lawful.Numbers Behind the Ban: Arrests, Damage and Legal ScopeSince the July 2025 proscription, roughly 3,000 people have been arrested for supporting the group.Police estimate that the group’s actions have caused “millions of pounds” in criminal damage, including a £1 million hit to a Thales factory in Glasgow (2022) and another £1 million damage at an Elbit Systems facility near Bristol (2024).Recent arrests continued outside the Court of Appeal on the day of the judgment, with the Metropolitan Police confirming ongoing enforcement.Legal and Human‑Rights Implications for UK Protest LawHuman rights organisations argue the ruling blurs the line between criminal damage and terrorism. Thomas Bell, acting UK director of Human Rights Watch, called the decision “a disastrous decision” that “misuses overbroad terrorism powers.” Anas Mustapha, head of public advocacy at CAGE International, warned the ruling could become “authoritarian tools for crushing dissent.” The judgment raises questions about the scope of the UK’s Terrorism Act and its impact on freedom of speech and the right to protest.Future Outlook: Appeals, Supreme Court and Policy DebatePalestine Action’s co‑founder Huda Ammori announced the group will seek permission to appeal to the UK Supreme Court and, if necessary, take the case to the European Court of Human Rights. The outcome could set a precedent for how protest groups are classified under terrorism legislation and may trigger broader parliamentary debate over the balance between security and civil liberties.

The Court's DecisionBritain's Court of Appeal has ruled that the government's proscription of the activist group Palestine Action as a "terrorist" organisation was lawful. The ruling on Monday came after the government lodged an appeal challenging a High Court ruling in February that banning the group under the Terrorism Act 2000 was unlawful and disproportionate.Legal BackgroundThe case stems from the government's decision to classify Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, which allows for more stringent measures against the group including potential asset freezes and longer prison sentences for related activities. The original High Court ruling in February had found this designation to be disproportionate, but the Court of Appeal has now overturned that decision.Implications for ActivismThis ruling sets a significant precedent for how activist groups in the UK can be classified under terrorism laws. The decision demonstrates a higher threshold for challenging such designations in the appellate courts, potentially making it more difficult for activist organizations to challenge similar government decisions in the future.Future Legal ChallengesWith this decision, the legal landscape for activist groups advocating for Palestinian rights has become more restrictive. Palestine Action and similar organizations may need to reassess their tactics and public engagement strategies to avoid falling within the expanded parameters of what constitutes terrorist activity under UK law.

The Appeal Ruling Former crypto tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried has lost his bid to overturn his fraud conviction and 25-year prison sentence over the collapse of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange he founded. In a unanimous decision on Friday, a three-judge panel of the Manhattan-based 2nd United States Circuit Court of Appeals said prosecutors' evidence against Bankman-Fried 'was, conservatively stated, robust'. The panel, led by Circuit Judge Barrington Parker, wrote that while Bankman-Fried was publicly reassuring customers, investors, and regulators that FTX customer funds were safe, he was simultaneously using FTX as his own personal piggy bank, spending customer funds on real estate, political contributions, and investments. The Fraud Charges Bankman-Fried was found guilty on seven felony charges by a federal jury in Manhattan in 2023. Prosecutors with the Manhattan US Attorney's Office said he stole $8bn from FTX customers to plug losses at his crypto-focused hedge fund, Alameda Research, in what they termed a 'fraud of epic proportions'. Bankman-Fried had pleaded not guilty to the two counts of fraud and five counts of conspiracy that he faced. At his trial, he admitted to making mistakes running FTX, but testified that he never stole funds. The Appeal and Future Steps Bankman-Fried's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. They may next ask all the active judges on the 2nd Circuit to hear the case, or ask the US Supreme Court to take up the case. Bankman-Fried is also seeking a pardon from US President Donald Trump, according to the Department of Justice's Office of the Pardon Attorney. Eligible for Release in 2044 Bankman-Fried is being held at a low-security federal prison near Santa Barbara, California. He is eligible for release in 2044. Before FTX collapsed, Bankman-Fried was a rising star in the rough-and-tumble crypto industry who burnished his reputation with lavish philanthropic and political donations. At his March 2024 sentencing hearing, Kaplan said Bankman-Fried knew his actions were wrong but 'made a very bad bet about the likelihood of getting caught'.

The Lead The United Kingdom's Court of Appeal is expected to rule on Monday whether the British government was right to proscribe the Palestine Action activist group as a 'terrorist' organisation. The Event Details Palestine Action was formally proscribed by the UK last July. A court in London ruled earlier this month that four activists convicted of criminal damage at a British facility owned by an Israeli weapons group would be sentenced on the basis that their actions had a 'terrorist connection'. The Data Analysis British police have said action by the group has resulted in millions of pounds of criminal damage. Some of the notable actions by Palestine Action include: In 2021, members protested for six days on the roof of Elbit Systems' subsidiary, UAV Tactical Systems in Leicester, until some were arrested by police. In 2022, the group broke into a Thales equipment factory in Glasgow, causing damage to weapons worth more than a million pounds ($1.3m). In 2024, 10 months into Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, Palestine Action activists broke into an Elbit Systems UK facility near Bristol in southwest England, causing another million pounds of damage. On June 20, 2025, Palestine Action activists broke into the Royal Air Force base at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and sprayed two military aircraft with red paint. The Impact Analysis Critics decried the vote, arguing that while members of the group have caused damage to property, they have not committed violent acts that amount to terrorism. More than 130 high-profile public figures have spoken out against the proscription. At least 1,600 arrests linked to support for Palestine Action were made in the three months following the ban. The Prediction The Court of Appeal's judgment on Monday will determine whether the government's 'terror group' ban on Palestine Action is upheld or overturned. If the ban is upheld, it could have significant implications for the group's ability to operate in the UK and for the treatment of similar protest groups in the future.

The Lead A year ago, 70-year-old Cathy Allen raised a placard that read, “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”, in Edinburgh. She was taken into custody a few days later, making her one of the first in Scotland to be arrested for supporting what the British government considers a terrorist group. The Event Details Allen and fellow sign-holder Justin Kenrick are set to argue before Scotland’s High Court that their arrests are not compatible with the rights to freedom of expression and assembly. They believe that a positive result would set a precedent for future cases in Scotland and have a knock-on effect for England and Wales. The Data Analysis 103 reports of terrorism charges associated with Palestine Action in Scotland More than half of all 193 terrorism charges lodged in Scotland since the Terrorism Act was introduced in 2000 54 live prosecutions relating to Palestine Action 24 people facing charges for holding signs like Allen’s 16 people face similar charges for wearing T-shirts reading, “Genocide in Palestine. Time to take Action” Over 3,300 people have been arrested for opposing the July 2025 ban on Palestine Action across the United Kingdom More than 1,200 people have been charged with terror-related offences The Impact Analysis The proscription of Palestine Action has created confusion and anxiety, given the possible legal consequences of protest action. Scots in the Palestine solidarity movement say the ban infringes on basic human rights. Mick Napier, a spokesperson for the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said, “Anyone who’s charged with terrorism finds some international travel difficult, and people cannot apply for jobs with any hope of success if they work in certain industries – medicine, teaching, so on – because you have to disclose any pending charges.” The Prediction Napier hopes that the Court of Appeal in London rules in favour of Palestine Action’s Ammori on Monday, but he expects the government will try to appeal once more. “In which case we’ll be a little bit deflated,” he said. “But we will continue to campaign. Nothing’s going to stop the huge number of people who’ve been educated during this genocide.”

Four members of Palestine Action have been sentenced as terrorists by a UK judge following a 2024 raid on the Elbit Systems factory in Gloucestershire that caused over £1 million in damage and resulted in a grievous bodily harm conviction.Judge Johnson Declares Terrorist Connection in Elbit Factory Break‑inAt a sentencing hearing on Friday, 12 June 2026, Mr Justice Johnson found that the criminal‑damage offences were “designed to intimidate the UK government and a section of the public” and therefore warranted a terrorist‑connection finding under section 69 of the Sentencing Act.Details of the Sentencing and ChargesSamuel Corner, 23 – convicted of criminal damage and grievous bodily harm without intent for striking Sgt Kate Evans with a sledgehammer.Charlotte Head, 30 – convicted of criminal damage.Leona Kamio, 30 – convicted of criminal damage.Fatema Rajwani, 21 – convicted of criminal damage.The court noted that the terrorist‑connection finding will increase the proportion of their sentences served in prison and impose a lifetime duty to notify police of personal changes.£1.2 million in Damage: The Financial Scope of the RaidThe prosecution’s report estimated total damage at £1.2 million, affecting 41 military assets. Specifically, £395,056 related to six units of an unnamed drone system, with additional destruction to other unmanned aerial vehicles.Legal and Political Ramifications of Terrorist LabelingLegal counsel highlighted the unprecedented nature of applying a terrorism label to a non‑violent offence. Rajiv Menon KC warned that the decision “invites chilling, creeping authoritarianism,” while Mira Hammad KC argued that the Crown deliberately avoided a jury trial on terrorism charges. The ruling could set a precedent for future protests, potentially expanding the reach of the Terrorism Act.What the Verdict Signals for Future Protest LitigationActivists and legal experts anticipate appeals, especially as the Court of Appeal is set to consider the lawfulness of the ban on Palestine Action. The decision may encourage prosecutors to pursue harsher sentences for politically motivated property damage, while protest groups risk being classified under terrorism legislation, affecting public support and legal strategies.

The Lead: Compensation Scheme Faces Legal Threat The City watchdog has warned that a wave of legal challenges to the compensation scheme for victims of the motor finance scandal could leave drivers waiting three more years for payouts, while piling £6bn of extra costs on to lenders. The Legal Battle: Four Parties Challenge FCA Scheme Bosses at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who have consistently hit out at lenders and a consumer claims group for challenging its scheme, told MPs the scandal could affect lenders for years, and have "consequences" by stretching its resources. The FCA is facing legal challenges from four parties over its compensation scheme: lenders Volkswagen Financial Services, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services and Crédit Agricole Auto Finance, as well as the consumer group Consumer Voice, which has teamed with the claims legal firm Courmacs Legal to assert that the drivers are being short-changed. The Financial Impact: £6bn in Additional Costs The challenges dashed the regulator's hopes of drawing a line under the scandal, in which drivers were overcharged for loans as a result of commission payments between lenders and car dealers between 2007 and 2024. "We estimate it would cost lenders over £6bn more and take three years to resolve claims through a complaints-led approach," the FCA chief executive, Nikhil Rathi, said in a letter released before the committee hearing. That would affect not only the lenders challenging the scheme, but the wider group of banks implicated in the scandal, including Lloyds Banking Group, Santander UK and Barclays. The Industry Consequences: Payouts Delayed Indefinitely The FCA is instead being hauled to the upper tribunal, where a judge would be asked to review the merits of the long-awaited £9.1bn compensation programme. That could end up delaying payouts to drivers, which were widely expected to begin as early as this summer. Even if the judge backs the FCA scheme, that would delay payouts into 2027, the FCA deputy chief executive, Sarah Pritchard, told MPs on the Treasury committee on Tuesday. If it is shot down, "then we will need to consider what the options may be," she added. The Future Outlook: Multiple Scenarios Emerge That would include launching a consultations on a newly crafted compensation scheme, or abandoning it entirely and letting complaints be sorted out through the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), Pritchard said. Labour MP John Grady questioned the FCA's estimates, noting that the process could last even longer than its forecast. "The timetable you've set out, I suspect, doesn't take into account the fact that the judicial review could then go to the court of appeal if it's a point of law, and then the supreme court," he said. The FCA said it would also take near-£3m hit from being dragged through the courts. That could result in financial "trade-offs", with the FCA – which is funded by the companies it supervises – having to "pivot resources" internally, Pritchard said.

Court Blocks Trump's Transgender Military BanA United States court of appeals has ruled that a policy under President Donald Trump to expel transgender troops from the military was a violation of the Constitution. Monday's decision was a split one among the three-judge panel of the US appeals court for the District of Columbia.One judge, Robert Wilkins, an appointee of former Democratic President Barack Obama, upheld a lower court ruling rejecting the Trump administration's policy as it pertains to already enlisted service members. A second judge – Judith Rogers, who was picked by former Democratic President Bill Clinton – agreed with his opinion, but only in part. She felt it should extend to those who seek to enlist, too.And the third judge, Trump pick Justin Walker, issued a dissent questioning the court's ability to second-guess US military policy.Origins of Trump's Controversial PolicyThe case focused on one of the earliest actions Trump took during his second term in office. On January 27, 2025, a week after his second inauguration, Trump issued an executive order called "Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness".In it, he denounced the US armed forces as having been infiltrated with "radical gender ideology". He proceeded to describe transgender people as unfit for service for embracing a "false 'gender identity'"."A man's assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member," Trump wrote.The executive order became the basis for a 13-page Pentagon memorandum, issued in February 2025 under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. It declared that any service member who has "symptoms" of gender dysphoria, or who has used hormone therapy or surgery to affirm their gender, would be "disqualified from military service".Military Service Record of Transgender PlaintiffsIn Monday's ruling, Wilkins described the policy as blatantly discriminatory. The policy, he wrote, "appears to be driven by the bare desire to harm a politically unpopular group: persons who identify as transgender"."To add insult, the President labeled transgender persons as dishonorable, undisciplined, arrogant, selfish liars," Wilkins added, pointing to the executive order.He pointed out that the transgender plaintiffs in the case had a combined 130 years of military service and had earned more than 80 commendations for their work.In the face of such evidence, Wilkins said the Trump administration had "forfeited any argument" that "retaining these service members will harm national security".Divided Rulings and Legal ImplicationsBut Wilkins stopped short of fully upholding a lower court ruling against the policy. Previously, Judge Ana Reyes had issued a temporary injunction against Trump's executive order, finding that the discrimination against transgender troops was unconstitutional.Wilkins agreed with Reyes that the Trump administration could not dismiss those already in the military's employ. But, he added, the harm was less for those seeking to enlist.Monday's ruling, therefore, strikes down the part of Reyes's injunction that would have barred the Trump administration from banning transgender people from the enlistment process.Rogers, the Clinton appointee, disagreed with that distinction. She pointed to testimony indicating that excluding transgender recruits from joining the military would deprive "our force of qualified personnel who have proven their ability to serve".Meanwhile, the dissent from the Trump appointee, Walker, hinged on his argument that the court had violated the separation of powers in the US government.Courts, he argued, should not be able to rule on the composition of the military."We have neither the expertise nor the authority to decide whether the military can exclude the plaintiffs from its ranks," Walker wrote. "The Constitution assigns that authority to Congress and the Commander in Chief."What Happens Next in the Legal BattleThe split decision is unlikely to have an immediate effect on US military policy. The appeals court has stayed the preliminary injunction from Reyes, as the legal fight continues, and last year, the US Supreme Court also halted an injunction against Trump's anti-transgender policy, in the case United States v Shilling.In a short, four-word social media post, Hegseth signalled that the Pentagon would appeal Monday's decision."See you at SCOTUS," he wrote, using the acronym for Supreme Court of the United States.But Democrats and LGBTQ+ advocates hailed the ruling as a victory against prejudice and discrimination in the Trump administration."No one who is qualified and answers the call to serve should be denied that opportunity because of who they are," US Representative John Larson of Connecticut wrote in a statement."Trump's trans military ban is discrimination — plain and simple. We'll keep fighting these attacks on our troops and all transgender Americans."

The Supreme Court's Landmark Decision on NFL ArbitrationThe US Supreme Court has turned away a bid by the National Football League to move a Black coach's racial discrimination claims out of federal court and into arbitration proceedings controlled by the NFL. This decision allows former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores to pursue his lawsuit alleging systematic racial discrimination in the league's hiring practices.The Legal Battle Over ArbitrationThe justices declined to hear an appeal by the league and three of its teams (the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans) after a lower court ruled that the NFL cannot force Flores to arbitrate workplace bias claims through a process overseen by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The teams involved in the appeal were the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans.The Arbitration Process and Its RejectionFlores, 45, has accused the NFL of systematic discrimination against Black coaches. The league attempted to have the case moved to arbitration, arguing it should either be dismissed as lacking legal merit or sent to private arbitration. However, a New York-based federal judge in 2023 ruled that the NFL and the three teams must face Flores's claims in federal court.The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in 2025 agreed that some of Flores's belonged in federal court, ruling that a provision in the NFL constitution granting Goodell unilateral authority to arbitrate was "plainly unenforceable" because it would deny Flores arbitration "in any meaningful sense of the word." The court noted that an arbitration agreement that "compels one party to submit its disputes to the substantive and procedural authority of the principal executive officer of one of their adverse parties, is an agreement for arbitration in name only."The Systemic Discrimination AllegationsFlores filed his 2022 lawsuit after being fired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins despite the team having a winning record for two consecutive seasons. He alleged that during his career, he was asked to have "sham interviews" with the Giants and Broncos merely to satisfy a 2003 NFL policy called the Rooney Rule requiring that minorities be interviewed for coaching jobs. The NFL adopted the Rooney Rule in 2003 in light of the historically low number of minorities in NFL head coaching positions.Two more Black coaches, former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks and former longtime NFL assistant coach Ray Horton, later joined Flores as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The lawsuit seeks to force the NFL to make a series of changes, incentivize teams to hire Black coaches and general managers, and require teams to explain hiring and termination decisions in writing.Broader Implications for Professional SportsThe NFL has denied claims of racial discrimination, but this case represents a significant challenge to the league's employment practices. The Supreme Court's decision not to intervene means the case will proceed in federal court, where Flores's allegations of systemic discrimination will be subject to public scrutiny and potentially legal remedies.This decision could set a precedent for other professional sports leagues and how they handle discrimination claims. The rejection of the NFL's arbitration attempt suggests that courts may be increasingly skeptical of arbitration processes where the decision-maker has a direct interest in the outcome, particularly in cases involving powerful organizations and individual employees.What Happens Next for the NFLWith the Supreme Court's decision, the NFL and the three teams named in the suit will now have to defend themselves against Flores's allegations in federal court. The case could reveal internal hiring practices and potentially expose evidence of discrimination within the league. If Flores and the other plaintiffs prevail, the NFL could be required to implement significant changes to its hiring practices, potentially including more diverse candidate pools and greater transparency in decision-making processes.The case also puts renewed focus on the effectiveness of the Rooney Rule, which has been criticized for not significantly increasing the number of minority head coaches in the NFL. The outcome of this lawsuit could lead to either reforms to the existing policy or the development of more robust anti-discrimination measures in professional sports.