Quakers in Britain has been denied the opportunity to give evidence in a landmark legal challenge, against the government’s proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist group.
The group applied for the opportunity to give evidence, saying that banning Palestine Action was a violation of their right to freedom of religion or belief.
A High Court judge ruled that their concerns were “seriously held”, but denied them permission to intervene in the challenge.
Justice Chamberlain held that challenges based on freedom of religion were beyond the scope of judicial review.
As a church, Quakers in Britain has never had any formal connection with Palestine Action, but insists that proscribing protest groups as terrorist organisations leads to a worrying slippery slope towards oppression.
“For Quakers, faith and action are inseparable,” said Paul Parker, recording clerk for Quakers in Britain.
“Peaceful protest, prayer, and non-violent action are expressions of our worship. When this is criminalised, our religious freedom is under attack.”
“We have seen dozens of Quakers - some of them elderly, some of them disabled, all of them heartbroken by the genocide being committed in Gaza - being arrested under terrorism laws just for sitting peacefully in protest,” he added.
The government proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation in July.
The High Court has granted a judicial review of the proscription, which will take place in November.