Kneecap rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh is not going to face a brand new terror trial after judges on the High Court rejected a Crown Prosecution Service attraction against the decision to throw out the case.
The rapper, who performs underneath the stage title Mo Chara, was charged in May 2025 with the alleged show of a flag in assist of the proscribed terrorist group Hezbollah at a gig in London on 21 November 2024.
But the case against the Belfast-born Kneecap rapper was dismissed final September on technical grounds.
At the time, chief Justice of the Peace Paul Goldspring instructed Woolwich Crown Court that the cost was “unlawful” and he had no jurisdiction to strive the case – however prosecutors appealed against the decision.
The High Court ruling was handed down remotely on Wednesday afternoon.
Lord Justice Edis, sitting with Mr Justice Linden, mentioned that “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”.
In the 13-page decision, Lord Justice Edis mentioned their decision “turned on a very narrow and technical legal issue and has nothing to do with whether the respondent committed the offence set out in the charge”.
In an announcement launched by his attorneys, O hAnnaidh mentioned: “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.
“It was all the time about Palestine and about what occurs in case you dare to communicate up. About what occurs in case you can attain giant teams of individuals and expose their hypocrisy.”
Pic: PA
Speaking at a press convention in Belfast shortly after the ruling, O hAnnaidh added: “This is bigger than us – whatever kind of stress that we felt, it’s minimal compared to the stress put on the families in Gaza.”
He mentioned the band has “lost gigs” and been “restricted” because of the courtroom proceedings, however will proceed to use their platform to speak about Palestine as they now not worry “repercussions”.
Following the decision, a CPS spokesperson mentioned: “The High Court has clarified how the law applies to the issuing of written charges in summary offences where attorney general permission was required for the director of public prosecutions to consent to a prosecution.
“We settle for the judgment and can replace our processes accordingly.”
After O hAnnaidh was charged, he first appeared in courtroom in June.
At a second listening to in August, the rapper’s attorneys argued prosecutors ought to have sought the permission of the legal professional normal, the chief authorized adviser to the Crown, to cost him with a terror offence earlier than informing him of the decision on 21 May final 12 months.
This permission was as a substitute given the next day, which meant it fell outdoors the six-month timeframe by which legal fees against a defendant might be introduced for the sort of offence, the courtroom was instructed.
