Britain's air bases, Gaza and the Brize Norton case
Topic
8 investigations.
The law
A judge can find a 'terrorist connection' at sentencing, without the jury deciding it. In Filton it lengthened sentences for criminal damage, and the prosecution has alleged one in Brize Norton.
Political links
Richard Hermer became Attorney General in July 2024, and the Brize Norton charges needed personal consent from a law officer. His public statements and official actions on Israel are collected here.
Proscription
The Home Secretary announced the ban days after the protest at RAF Brize Norton, citing the attack. The High Court ruled it unlawful, but the Court of Appeal reinstated it in June 2026.
The law
Section 4 of the National Security Act 2023 covers entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to UK interests. It needs no foreign power, and the maximum sentence is 14 years.
The law
In a 2025 lecture, the independent reviewer Jonathan Hall KC argued for 'counter-subversion' tactics and listed Gaza among issues an adversary might exploit.
Comparisons
The Filton trials were the first in the UK to apply a 'terrorist connection' finding to criminal damage. This comparison sets them against the Brize Norton case due in January 2027.
Comparisons
A comparison of three protests at British defence sites, with a 1964 case as background, setting out the charges, the damage claimed, the legal rulings and the outcome so far.
The law
Section 37 of the National Security Act 2023 requires the Attorney General's personal consent for this offence. Richard Hermer held the post at the time of the protest.
