ONYX covered the first round of Palestine Action jury outcomes in August 23 coverage: an Old Bailey jury refused to convict on 14 of 15 charges after 37 hours of deliberation; a second set of five activists convicted of Barclays damage avoided terrorism sentencing because the jury was never informed it was a possibility. Today’s development adds a third jury outcome: another acquittal, continuing the pattern.

THE PATTERN  

Three separate jury outcomes in the Palestine Action cases are now documented:

▸  Old Bailey Trial 1: jury deliberated 37 hours; refused to convict on 14 of 15 charges despite government terrorism designation of Palestine Action

▸  Old Bailey Trial 2: five activists convicted of Barclays damage; judge ruled jury was never informed terrorism sentencing was possible; sentence cannot reflect terrorism designation

▸  August 27 Trial 3: another jury acquittal, continuing the pattern of jury refusal to apply the terrorism designation to Palestine Action activists’ conduct

A pattern of three acquittals (or near-acquittals) is analytically significant: in English law, jury nullification — where jurors refuse to convict despite the legal evidence — is historically associated with cases where the community represented by the jury views the law or its application as unjust. Whether that is what is happening in Palestine Action cases is for legal analysts and the CPS to assess; ONYX names the pattern.

THE CPS DECISION TIMELINE  

The Crown Prosecution Service must decide whether to retry on the charges that produced acquittals or convictions that the terrorism sentencing issue invalidated. The September 14 hearing noted in ONYX’s August 23 coverage remains the key date. The pattern of jury outcomes adds specific pressure to that decision: the CPS must assess whether additional trials are in the public interest when juries have repeatedly refused to apply the terrorism designation.

THE UK HIGH COURT RULING CONTEXT  

As ONYX documented on 23 August, the UK High Court separately ruled the terrorism designation of Palestine Action as unlawful earlier in 2026. That legal ruling and the jury outcomes are parallel accountability processes challenging the same designation from different directions: the High Court from the legal/administrative direction; the juries from the community accountability direction.

Three trials. Three jury refusals. One terrorism designation that the High Court has already called unlawful. The CPS must decide whether to keep pursuing convictions against a backdrop in which juries and courts have both declined to apply the designation.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT  

▸  September 14 CPS hearing — retrial decision; the pattern of jury outcomes will heavily influence this decision

▸  Palestine Action organizational status — whether the terrorism designation remains in place after the High Court ruling and jury pattern

▸  Five activists sentencing (September 4) — without terrorism sentencing available, what sentence they receive

▸  Palestine Action’s posture — whether they continue operations given the pattern of jury outcomes

CONFIDENCE: HIGH

Third jury acquittal in Palestine Action trial is from confirmed reporting. Prior trial outcomes and September 14 CPS decision are from ONYX August 23 Section B documentation.

⚖️  BIAS CHECK — WHO IS SAYING WHAT
CPS	Must decide whether continued prosecution serves the public interest; the jury pattern and High Court ruling both complicate this assessment
Palestine Action	Has secured three jury acquittals or near-acquittals; their legal strategy appears to be succeeding even where the legal argument for acquittal is not always the formally strongest
UK Home Office	Applied the terrorism designation; the designation’s legal validity and practical enforceability are both under challenge
UK Juries	Have expressed through their verdicts a refusal to apply the terrorism label to Palestine Action activists’ conduct; this is a specific community accountability signal

SOURCES

▸  Confirmed reporting — Palestine Action third jury acquittal, August 27, 2026

▸  ONYX August 2 — prior UK Palestine Action trial documentation