Our fundraiser for judicial review proceedings is now complete. We are grateful to all our donors for contributing to an important campaign to safeguard freedom of speech and freedom of religion. We were cited in the Free Speech Union’s (FSU) first pre-action letter to the government (back in March 2026) and are working in partnership with them on this critical issue moving forwards.

Although a decision was taken not to proceed with judicial review proceedings against the government directly, another pre-action letter related to the government’s ‘anti-Muslim hostility’ definition resulted in success. Last month, South Wales Police shelved what on the face of is appeared to be an Islamic blasphemy law, after a judicial review threat sent by the FSU. Under guidance issued by the police to rank and file officers, they were instructed to log anything deemed to be beyond ‘legitimate criticism’ of Islam. If this had proceeded, it would have stifled free and open discussion about religion and resurrected non-crime-hate incidents. This proposed subjective interpretation of speech may well have captured the right to strongly criticise halal slaughter and discuss historical references, like the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur. 

We are still in the fight alongside the FSU. Several other organisations and public bodies who’ve adopted the definition have been sent pre-action letters. If they choose not to withdraw or pause, the adoption of what is essentially a repackaged ‘Islamophobia’ definition, we will join the FSU as additional claimants to proceedings. All the money donated to us, will be transferred to the law firm representing the FSU, Sharpe Pritchard, towards legal costs incurred.

Network of Sikh Organisations

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