AB and AC -v- Secretary of State for the Home Department (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Case number: AC-2025-LON-002215

In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division
Administrative Court

In the matter of an application for judicial review

9 December 2025

Before:

Susie Alegre,
sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court

Between:

The King
on the application of
AB
(a minor, by their litigation friend, LM)
AC
(a minor, by their litigation friend, LM)

-v-

Secretary of State for the Home Department

Order

On an application by the Claimant for permission for judicial review

Following consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimant and the Acknowledgement of Service and Statement of Grounds lodged by the Defendant

ORDER BY SUSIE ALEGRE sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court

  1. Appointment of a litigation friend

(a) The Claimants’ mother is appointed as their litigation friend.

  1. Anonymity:

(a) Pursuant to CPR 39.2(4) and/or the Court’s inherent jurisdiction and/or s. 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998:

(i) the Claimants’ names are to be withheld from the public and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in public; and

(ii) the Claimants are to be referred to orally and in writing as AB and AC and their litigation friend as LM.

(b) Pursuant to s. 11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, there must be no publication of the identity of the Claimant or of any matter likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant in any report of, or otherwise in connection with, these proceedings.

(c) Pursuant to CPR 5.4C(4):

(i) the parties must within 7 days file a redacted copy of any statement of case filed, omitting the name, address and any other information likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant;

(ii) if any statement of case subsequently filed includes information likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant, a redacted copy omitting that information must be filed at the same time;

(iii) unless the Court grants permission under CPR 5.4C(6), no non-party many obtain a copy of any unredacted statement of case.

(d) Any person wishing to vary or discharge this Order must make an application, served on each party.

  1. Adjournment of permission to a hearing:

(a) The application for permission to apply for judicial review is adjourned to be determined after a hearing.

(b) The permission hearing is to be listed with a time estimate of 60 minutes, including submissions by the parties and an oral judgment by the judge. If the Claimant considers that more time should be allowed, the time estimate must be included with the request for reconsideration of permission.

(c) Within 21 days of the service of this Order, the Claimant must file and serve an electronic copy of the Permission Hearing Bundle, prepared in accordance with the guidance on the Administrative Court website and containing the following documents:

(i) the Claim Form, Statement of Facts and Grounds and any evidence or other documents filed with the Claim Form;

(ii) any Acknowledgment of Service, Summary Grounds of Defence and any accompanying documents served by any Defendant and/or Interested Party;

(iii) any Reply or other document served by any party to the proceedings at the paper permission stage;

(iv) this Order;

(v) the renewed application for permission to apply for judicial review (on Form 86B);

(vi) any other document the Court would be likely to consider material to its decision on permission to apply for judicial review.

(c) If the Claimant fails to comply with sub-paragraph (b), permission will be determined on the basis of the renewal notice and the documents before the Court at the paper stage, unless at the hearing the Court otherwise directs.

(d) At least 7 days before the date listed for the hearing, the Claimant must file and serve:

(i) a skeleton argument, maximum 10 pages;

(ii) an electronic bundle containing any authorities which the Court needs to read at the hearing (the Authorities Bundle: see para. 22.1.2 of the Administrative Court Judicial Review Guide); and

(iii) if requested by the Court, a hard copy version of the Permission Hearing Bundle and Authorities Bundles.

(e) At least 7 days before the date listed for the hearing, any party other than the Claimant intending to participate in the hearing must file and serve any skeleton argument, maximum 10 pages.

(f) If a party fails to comply with sub-paragraph (b), (d) and/or (e), the Court may have regard to the failure when considering any question about costs at the hearing.

REASONS

(1) Anonymity and Appointment of Litigation Friend: The Claimants are children and the claim involves personal information about their stateless status while they reside in a third country. There are accordingly compelling reasons for the limited derogations from the principle of open justice in paragraph 1. Their mother is an appropriate litigation friend in the circumstances.

(2) Adjournment of permission to a hearing: The Claim turns on a complex issue of the interconnection between UK and international law in relation to the particular circumstances of the Claimant children’s statelessness and the exercise of the SSHD’s discretion. The issue and arguments of the parties require more in depth consideration at a hearing to determine whether or not there is an arguable case at the permission stage.

Signed: Susie Alegre DHCJ
Date: 9 December 2025