ABC -v- DEF (anonymity order)

High CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Claim No: KB-2026-000669

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
KING’S BENCH DIVISION

10 March 2026

Before:

Mr Justice Coppel

Between:

ABC (a protected party proceeding by his Litigation Friend XYZ)

-v-

DEF

Order

Following an approval hearing in relation to quantum taking place on 11 December 2014 before The Honourable Mrs Justice Swift DBE

UPON Leading Counsel Ms Elizabeth Anne Gumbel KC, for the Claimant and Counsel, Mr Julian Matthews, for the Defendant attending the approval hearing on 11 December 2014.

AND UPON

1) Consideration of the rights of the Claimant to respect for private and family life under Article 8 ECHR and of the right to freedom of expression under Article 10 ECHR.

2) It appearing that non-disclosure of the identity of the Claimant, the Litigation Friend and the Defendant is necessary to secure the proper administration of justice and in order to protect the interests of the Claimant, the Litigation Friend and the Defendant and that there is no sufficient countervailing public interest in disclosure.

3) The Defendant indicating its neutrality as to the making of the Order and there having been no relevant representations from the press or any other interested party at the approval hearing or subsequently.

AND PURSUANT to Section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998, Section 11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and CPR Rules 5.4C, 5.4D and 39.2(4).

WHEREAS for the purposes of this Order:

1) ‘Publication’ includes any speech, writing, broadcast or other communication in whatever form (including the internet and social media), which is addressed to the public or any section of the public.
2) Publication for the purpose of this Order includes any further publication (as defined in subparagraph 1 above) from the date of this Order, even if such information has derived from a previous stage of these proceedings.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:

  1. The identity of the Claimant, the Litigation Friend and the Defendant as a party to these proceedings is confidential and shall not be published.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, the Defendant, or any details (including other names, address, or a specific combination of facts) that could lead to the identification of ABC as the Claimant in these proceedings, or the identification of the litigation friend or the Defendant. The Claimant, the litigation friend and the Defendant shall be referred to as set out at paragraph 3 of this Order.
  3. In any Judgment or report of these proceedings, or other publication (by whatever medium) in relation thereto:
    a) The Claimant shall be referred to as “ABC”
    b) The Litigation Friend shall be referred to as “XYZ”
    c) The Defendant shall be referred to as “DEF”
    d) 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), the litigation friend or the Defendant shall be redacted before publication.
  4. Pursuant to CPR Rules 5.4C and 5.4D:
    a) 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 subparagraphs 3 a) to 3 c) above.
    b) 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 documentation or communication, such application shall be on at least 7 days’ notice to the Claimant’s solicitor 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 4pm on 8 May 2026.
  6. The Court file shall be clearly marked with the words “An anonymity Order was made in this case on 10 March 2026 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. Any interested party, whether or not a party to the proceedings, may apply to the Court to vary or discharge this Order, provided that such an application is made on 7 days’ notice to the Claimant’s solicitor, trustee or deputy.
  8. Pursuant to the ‘Practice Guidance: Publication of Privacy and Anonymity Orders’ issued by the Master of the Rolls dated 16 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.