AA -v- TAJ and AZO (anonymity order)

High CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Claim number: KB-2023-001811

In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division

20 May 2025

Before:

Andrew Kinnier KC
sitting as a Deputy Judge in the High Court of Justice

Between:

AA
(A Protected Party by his Litigation Friend, Ms AM)

-v-

(1) TAJ
(2) AZO

Anonymity order

BEFORE Andrew Kinnier KC sitting as a Deputy Judge in the High Court of Justice, King’s Bench Division, Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand, London WC2A 2LL on 19th May 2025

UPON HEARING Mr Philip MD Grundy, Counsel for the Claimant, and Mr Louis Browne KC, Counsel for the First and Second Defendants

AND UPON:
(1) Consideration of the article 8 rights of the Claimant to respect for private and family life, and article 10 right to freedom of expression;
(2) It appearing that non-disclosure of the identity of the Claimant is necessary to secure the proper administration of justice and in order to protect the interests of the Claimant and that there is no sufficient countervailing public interest in disclosure;
(3) The Defendants indicating their neutrality to the making of the Order and there being no representation from the Press or any other interested party.

AND PURSUANT to section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 and CPR Rules 5.4C, 5.3D, and 39.2(4).

WHEREAS for the purpose of this Order:
(1) “Publication” includes any speech, writing, broadcast or other communication in whatever form (including internet and social media), which is addressed to the public at large or any section of the public.
(2) Publication for the purpose of this Order includes any further publication (as defined in sub-paragraph (1) above) from the date of this Order, even if such information is derived from a previous stage or stages of these proceedings.

IT IS ORDERED that:

  1. The identity of the Claimant as a party to these proceedings is confidential and shall not be published;
  2. Pursuant to CPR Rule 39.2(4), there shall not be disclosed in any report of these proceedings or other publication, the name or address of the Claimant, the Claimant’s Litigation Friend or other immediate family members, or any details (including other names, addresses, or a specific combination of facts) that could lead to the identification of the Claimant in these proceedings. The Claimant and the Litigation Friend shall be referred to as set out at paragraph 3 of this Order. Further, there shall not be disclosed in any report of these proceedings or other publication, the name and address of the First and Second Defendants which could lead to the identification of the Claimant in these proceedings.
  3. Any judgment or report of these proceedings, or other publication (by whatever medium) in relation thereto:
    (i) The Claimant shall be referred to as AA.
    (ii) The Litigation Friend shall be referred to as AM.
    (iii) The First Defendant shall be referred to as TAJ.
    (iv) The Second Defendant shall be referred to as AZO.
    (v) Any other details which, on their own or together with other information publicly available, may lead to the identification of the Claimant (including any names of other immediate family members or their addresses shall be redacted before publication).
  4. Pursuant to CPR Rules 5.4C and 5.4D:
    (i) A person who is not a party to the proceedings may not obtain a copy of a Statement of Case, Judgment or Order from the Court records unless the Statement of case, Judgment or Order has been anonymised in accordance with sub-paragraphs 3(i) to 3(v) above;
    (ii) If a person who is not a party to the proceedings applies (pursuant to CPR Rule 5.4C(1B) or (2) ) for permission to inspect or obtain a copy of any other document or communication, such application shall be on at least seven days’ notice to the Claimant’s solicitor, trustee or deputy.
  5. The Claimant’s solicitor shall file with the Court an electronic (PDF) bundle of the Statements of Case that has been anonymised in accordance with paragraph 3 above by 4.00pm, 10th June 2025 and refiled in the event that any Statement of Case is amended, within 20 days of such amendment being approved.
  6. The Court File should be clearly marked with the words “ An anonymity Order was made in this case on 19th May 2025 and any application by a non-party to inspect or obtain a copy document from this file must be dealt with in accordance with the terms of that Order”.
  7. The provisions of this Order, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not apply:
    (i) to communications between the Claimant, his Litigation Friend and his solicitors and the Court in relation to this action;
    (ii) to communications between the Claimant, his Litigation Friend and his solicitors and any deputy appointed on behalf of the Claimant in relation to the management of his property and affairs and/or the investment or treatment or payment of monies whether received pursuant to the terms of the final Order or otherwise.
  8. Any interested party, whether or not a party to the proceedings, may apply to the Court to vary or discharge this Order, provided that any such application is made on seven days’ notice to the Claimant’s solicitors, trustee or deputy.
  9. Pursuant to the “Practice Guidance: Publication of Privacy and Anonymity Orders’ issued by the Master of the Rolls dated 16th April 2019, a copy of this order shall be published on the Judicial website of the High Court of Justice (www.judiciary.uk). For that purpose, a court officer will send a copy of the Order by email to the Judicial Office at judicialwebupdates@judiciary.uk.
  10. The costs of obtaining this Order shall be costs in the case.

Dated this 20th day of May 2025