UK government loses appeal over quashed Kneecap terror charge

The High Court in London has rejected the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) appeal and ruled that Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, known as Mo Chara of the Irish language rap trio Kneecap, will not face a new terror trial after a judge threw out the original charge on timing grounds.

“- Published The UK government has lost its appeal over a judge's decision to throw out a terror charge against a member of the Irish language rap trio Kneecap”

BBC

The judgement, published by Lord Justice Edis and Mr Justice Linden, agreed with Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring’s earlier ruling that the charge had been brought outside the six-month time limit.

BBC

Lord Justice Edis said Ó hAnnaidh "has not been tried for his alleged conduct 'and will not be tried'" and noted he "has not been convicted, and he has not been acquitted."

Ó hAnnaidh was first charged in May 2025 after allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah during a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town in London in November 2024.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring had outlined that permission was not given to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to consent to the prosecution until 22 May — a day after Ó hAnnaidh was charged — and that if 22 May was considered the date of the charge it would be six months and one day after the London gig.

BBC

The divisional court’s judgement said it agreed with the chief magistrate that proceedings had "been instituted when the first written charge was issued on 21 May" and that "this was invalid as the permission of the Attorney General had not been obtained at that time."

The judgement also states, "It follows that no written charge was issued within six months of 21 September 2025 and the judge was right to hold that he had no jurisdiction to try any summary only offence alleged to have been committed on that date."

These multiple date references in the article create ambiguity about the precise legal timeline and how the six-month limit was applied.

Speaking at a press conference in west Belfast after the judgement, Ó hAnnaidh joked it was "three-nil to Kneecap" and said the process "was never about me, never about any threat to the public and never about terrorism... it was always about Palestine."

“- Published The UK government has lost its appeal over a judge's decision to throw out a terror charge against a member of the Irish language rap trio Kneecap”

BBC

He told the government, "We said we would fight you in your court and we would win, we have three times now. Your own High Court has ruled against you."

Darragh Mackin from Phoenix Law, who represented the rapper, criticised the prosecution as a "novelty", described the appeal as "legally laughable" and a "witch hunt", and called the case an "expensive circus" that was unlawful from its inception.

A CPS spokesperson said the service accepted the judgement and would "update our processes accordingly."

Kneecap are an Irish language trio formed in 2017 whose members use the stage names Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí.

Their rise to fame inspired a semi-fictionalised film starring Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender; the self-titled film won a British Academy of Film Award (Bafta) in February 2025.

BBC

The group have faced criticism for provocative lyrics and merchandise, and after their Coachella performance in April 2025 they were criticised for displaying messages about the war in Gaza; the BBC later decided not to livestream their Glastonbury set and Avon and Somerset Police investigated but decided no further action would be taken.

In November 2024 the group also won a case against the UK government over a decision by the then-UK Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch to withdraw an arts grant.