Presiding at Woolwich Crown Court, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring agreed with O’Hanna’s legal team that the charge was filed a day late, leading to its dismissal.

“These proceedings were instituted unlawfully and are null,” he said.

The public gallery erupted in cheers when the chief magistrate delivered his ruling, while O’Hanna acknowledged his supporters with a smile and a thumbs up.

Kneecap, a group of Belfast rappers who perform in both English and Irish, often discuss themes like drugs, working-class struggles, and Irish reunification, and have been criticized for politically charged lyrics allegedly supportive of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Canada and Hungary have previously banned the group.

Kneecap has accused critics of trying to silence the band because of its support for the Palestinian cause throughout the war in Gaza.

The band says it doesn’t support Hezbollah and Hamas, nor condone violence.

O’Hanna, 27, had claimed the prosecution was a politically motivated effort to silence the band’s support for Palestinians.

After the charges were dismissed, the rapper addressed his supporters outside the court, asserting, “We will not be silent. As people from Ireland, we are familiar with oppression, colonialism, famine, and genocide.”

Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, praised the decision, interpreting the charges as an attempt to suppress voices opposing perceived Israeli actions in Gaza.

“Kneecap have used their platform on stages across the world to expose this genocide, and it is the responsibility of all of us to continue speaking out and standing against injustice in Palestine,” she added.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it was “reviewing the decision of the court carefully” and pointed out that it can be appealled.

London’s Metropolitan Police said it was working with the prosecutors to “understand the potential implications of this ruling for us and how that might impact on the processing of such cases in the future.”

Kneecap has been the centre of controversy in Britain since last year, when the previous government sought to block an arts grant for the band, citing its anti-British politics.

That decision was overturned after the Labour Party won last year’s parliamentary election and Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office.

The group’s members played themselves in Kneecap, which won an audience award when it was screened at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

It was shortlisted for best foreign-language film and best original song at this year’s Academy Awards, though it did not make the final cut.