Kneecap - the Irish language rap trio of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí - will be challenging the British Secretary of State in court later this year after launching legal action in February.
"We’ve been granted permission to challenge the Secretary of State's decision," Kneecap said on social media on Thursday, June 20.
"That means we have cleared the first legal hurdle and the Judge has ruled that the case is arguable with a reasonable prospect of success.
"The Secretary of State must now file evidence justifying their position."
We’ve been granted permission to challenge the Secretary of States decision. ?
That means we have cleared the first legal hurdle and the Judge has ruled that the case is arguable with a reasonable prospect of success. ??
The Secretary of State must now file evidence justifying… pic.twitter.com/G4FhJzzgUz
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) June 20, 2024
In February, the trio claimed it had been blocked by the British government from receiving a £15,000 grant.
"We've just been informed that our application to the 'Music Export Growth Scheme' (MEGS) was independently approved and signed off by selection board," they said in a statement.
"It was then blocked directly by the British Government who overruled the independent selection board.
"We're told that our 2019 'Farewell to the Union' Tour Poster pissed off the Tories.
"Once again the British government is trying to silence voices from West Belfast - once again it will fail!"
The trio, who offered "fair f--ks the artists who got the funding," signed off their statement in February saying "fight censorship."
A spokesperson for Kemi Badenoch, the UK’s Business and Trade Secretary, responded: "We fully support freedom of speech, but it’s hardly surprising that we don’t want to hand out UK taxpayers’ money to people that oppose the United Kingdom itself.”
The Belfast-based human rights solicitors Phoenix Law confirmed the following day that it had been instructed by Kneecap and that it had put Badenoch "on notice that her decision is unlawful, and legal proceedings will follow."
Darragh Mackin is representing Kneecap in the legal action alongside Joe Brolly and Ronan Lavery KC, the law firm said.
DJ Próvaí was the only member of the Irish language rap trio who attended the proceedings at the Belfast High Court on Thursday.
Donning his signature tricolor balaclava, he told The Irish News: "It's about identity, it's about freedom of expression.
"It's about the government's overreaching, and if they're able to do this, where does it stop?
"It's a bad precedent to set, trying to stop freedom of expression.
"It's an attack on arts and culture, it's an attack on the Irish language, it's an attack on the Good Friday Agreement, which they're supposed to be upholding, as well."
@the_irish_news Kneecap have been given permission to challenge the decision to block their application for funding from a music promotion scheme irishnews.com #irishnews #kneecap #belfastcourts #belfastnews #newsnorthernireland #newsireland #rappers #gaeilge ♬ original sound - The Irish News
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