The High Court of England and Wales has confirmed that a terrorism prosecution against a member of Irish rap group, Kneecap cannot proceed after finding that the proceedings were not lawfully instituted within the statutory time limit.
The case concerned Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara. He had been charged under section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in connection with the alleged display of a Hezbollah flag during a concert in London in November 2024. Mr Ó hAnnaidh denied the allegation.
Proceedings initially came before Westminster Magistrates’ Court in September, where Judge Paul Goldspring ruled that the case had not been instituted in the correct legal form. The issue centred on the statutory requirement that the Attorney General for England and Wales must grant consent to such prosecutions within six months. That time limit had not been met.
The High Court upheld that ruling, confirming that the prosecution had not been validly commenced. Delivering judgment, Lord Justice Edis emphasised that the statutory time limit must be applied according to its clear wording and rejected attempts to interpret the legislation in a way that would preserve the charge. He stated that it would be wrong to adopt strained interpretations of primary legislation simply to save a single summary offence from the effect of the limitation period.
The High Court’s decision confirms that the proceedings cannot be revived and that the case is now concluded.