Kneecap Rapper Cleared of Terror Charges After High Court Rejects CPS Appeal
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, the rapper from the Irish hip-hop group Kneecap who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, will not face a terror trial after judges at the High Court dismissed an appeal by the Crown Prosecution Service. The decision marks the end of a legal battle that began with allegations of displaying a flag in support of the proscribed terror organisation Hezbollah.
Legal Proceedings and Key Ruling
The case stemmed from an incident at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, North London, on November 21, 2024. Ó hAnnaidh was accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag, leading to charges under terror legislation. However, in September last year, chief magistrate Paul Goldspring threw out the case, ruling that the proceedings were "instituted unlawfully" due to procedural errors.
The Crown Prosecution Service appealed this decision at a High Court hearing in January, but on Wednesday, two judges—Lord Justice Edis and Mr Justice Linden—upheld the original ruling and dismissed the appeal. The judges agreed that prosecutors failed to seek the Attorney General's permission to charge the rapper within the required six-month time frame for summary-only offences.
Specifically, the charge was issued on May 21, 2025, but permission from the Attorney General was not obtained until the following day, placing it outside the legal timeline. Lord Justice Edis stated in the judgment, "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." He emphasised that the ruling was based on a "very narrow and technical legal issue" and did not address whether Ó hAnnaidh committed the alleged offence.
Reactions and Statements
In a statement provided through his lawyers, Ó hAnnaidh expressed gratitude to his legal team and criticised the prosecution as politically motivated. He said, "This entire process was never about me, never about any threat to the public and never about 'terrorism', a word used by the British Government to discredit people you oppress both in Ireland and across the world." He linked the case to his support for Palestine, adding, "It was always about Palestine and about what happens if you dare to speak up."
Speaking at a press conference in Belfast after the ruling, Ó hAnnaidh highlighted the impact on his band, noting they had "lost gigs" and been "restricted" due to the court proceedings. He stated, "We'll continue to use whatever platform we have to talk about Gaza," and asserted, "We said we would fight you in your court and we would win – we have, three times now." He also accused the British government of "arming and assisting a genocide in Gaza."
The Crown Prosecution Service accepted the judgment, with a spokesperson saying, "we accept the judgment and will update our processes accordingly." They added that the High Court had clarified the law regarding written charges in summary offences where Attorney General permission is required.
Implications and Aftermath
The 13-page judgment noted that the case would never be determined on its merits, despite the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney General believing there was a realistic prospect of conviction and that prosecution was in the public interest. Lord Justice Edis expressed concern over this outcome but did not investigate the reasons for the procedural failure.
This ruling underscores the importance of strict adherence to legal timelines in criminal proceedings, particularly in cases involving terror charges. It also highlights ongoing tensions around free speech and political expression in the UK, with Ó hAnnaidh vowing to continue using his platform for activism. The case has drawn attention to the broader issues of government prosecution tactics and the challenges faced by artists in navigating legal systems while engaging in political discourse.
