AA and BB -v- CC (anonymity order)
High CourtKing's Bench DivisionMedia and Communications ListAnonymity Order
Amended under the slip rule (CPR r 40.12)
Claim No: KB-2024-003964
In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division
Media and Communications List
18 March 2025
Before:
The Honourable Mr Justice Murray
Between:
AA
and
BB
-v-
CC
Order
UPON the Claimant’s application dated 21 January 2025 for an anonymity order (“the Anonymity Application”)
AND UPON the order of Mr Justice Sheldon dated 7 February 2025 (“the Sheldon J Order”) granting anonymity to the parties pending determination of the Anonymity Application and giving other directions for the hearing of the Anonymity Application including that the hearing should be held remotely (via an online video platform) and in private
AND UPON the Defendant having informally applied for anonymity
AND UPON hearing Mr Paul Dipré for the Claimants and Mr John Cooper KC for the Defendant
AND UPON the Court’s being satisfied that it is necessary in accordance with CPR r 39.2(4) that the identity of the parties not be disclosed in order to secure the proper administration of justice and in order to protect the interests of the parties in relation to their private information
IT IS ORDERED THAT:
1. Until further order of the Court, for all purposes in these proceedings, including in any reference to these proceedings in the public lists of the Court, the First Claimant shall be referred to as “AA”, the Second Claimant as “BB”, and the Defendant as “CC”.
2. There shall not be disclosed in any report of the proceedings the name, address, or picture of either of the Claimants or of the Defendant, nor any information that is liable to or might lead to their identification as parties to these proceedings.
3. A person who is not a party to these proceedings (or a legal representative of a party to these proceedings) is prohibited from inspecting or obtaining a copy of any statement of case, judgment, order or any other document from the court records, unless:
(i) the relevant document has been anonymised as set out above in clause 1, the address of the Claimants and the address of the Defendant removed, and any information that might identify either Claimant or the Defendant as involved in these proceedings has been redacted; and
(ii) the person seeking to inspect or obtain the anonymised document has made an application to the Court under CPR r 5.4C(4) and has given written notice to the parties of that application
4. This matter is adjourned to a case management hearing on Tuesday, 6 May 2025 (“the Hearing”) with a time estimate of 30 minutes for an update on progress and to deal with any applications for further directions, with the parties to agree appropriate directions or, failing such agreement, each to submit in writing their proposals for further directions no later than Wednesday, 30 April 2025 at 4:30 pm, together with any relevant information or supporting documents that will reasonably assist the Court in relation to the directions sought.
5. The Hearing will be reserved to Mr Justice Murray, if available, and otherwise will be heard by another Judge of the Media and Communications List.
6. The Hearing will be held remotely (via an online video platform), and it will be held in private, the Court being satisfied, in accordance with CPR r 39.2(3), given the nature of the case and the issues that will need to be considered at that hearing, that it is necessary and proportionate for the hearing to be held in private to secure the proper administration of justice, having regard, in particular, to paragraphs (a), (c), and (g) of CPR r 39.2(3).
7. The parties have permission, and each of them, to apply to the Court to re-fix the Hearing for another date (that is convenient for and agreed by the parties and their legal representatives) and/or to vary the time estimate, provided that the re-fixed Hearing occurs no later than 31 July 2025. Such application may be made by letter to the King’s Bench Judges’ Listing Office, quoting the Claim Number, with no fee payable. The parties are also directed to inform the Court if, at any stage, it is agreed that the Hearing is no longer needed, so that it can be vacated.
8. Any person affected by any of the restrictions in this Order may apply to the Court to vary or discharge this Order (or so much of it as affects that person), but written notice of any such application and the evidence relied upon must first be given to the parties and their legal representatives.
9. Costs reserved.