Kneecap given go-ahead for judicial review of UK funding decision
![Kneecap given go-ahead for judicial review of UK funding decision](https://www.irishlegal.com/uploads/belfast-rcj-ours.jpg)
Provocative Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap have been granted permission by Northern Ireland’s High Court for a judicial review of a UK government decision to deprive them of a public grant.
The Irish language artists were awarded a £15,000 grant under the music export growth scheme (MEGS), which was subsequently withdrawn by UK business secretary Kemi Badenoch.
A spokesperson Ms Badenoch said at the time that the government did not want to fund “people that oppose the United Kingdom itself”.
Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law, representing Kneecap, said the decision represented an attack on identity, freedom of expression and the fundamentals of the Good Friday Agreement.
The case will proceed to a full hearing in November 2024.