ABC -v- Southern Rock Insurance Company Ltd (anonymity order)

High CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Claim No. QB-2020-000967

In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division

24 May 2023

Before:
Her Honour Judge Howells

Between:
ABC (A Protected Party by a Litigation Friend, DEF)
-v-
Southern Rock Insurance Company Ltd

Order

BEFORE HER HONOUR JUDGE HOWELLS sitting as a Judge of the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice on 24 May 2023

UPON hearing Bernard Doherty Counsel for the Claimant and (by video link) Winston Hunter KC Leading Counsel for the Defendant

AND UPON approving the proposed settlement of this claim and making the settlement an order of the Court

AND UPON noting that an Anonymity Order was made in respect of the Claimant and Litigation Friend in this claim on 31 March 2022

AND UPON noting that it is appropriate to make a further Anonymity Order to stand in place of the Order of 31 March 2022 to reflect the subsequent change in the approved form of such orders

AND UPON
(1) Consideration of the Article 8 rights of the Claimant to respect for private and family life, and the 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 Defendant indicating its neutrality to the making of the order and there being no representations from the press or any other interested party.
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 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 subparagraph (i) above) from the date of this Order, even if such information has derived from a previous stage or stages of these proceedings.

IT IS ORDERED:

  1. The Anonymity Order made on 31 March 2022 is hereby set aside and replaced by this Order.
  2. The identity of the Claimant as a party to these proceedings is confidential and shall not be published.
  3. 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.
  4. 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 “DEF”.
  5. 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.
  6. 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(i) to (iii) above.
    b. If a person who is not a party to the proceedings applies (pursuant to CPR r.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 7 days’ notice to the Claimant’s solicitor, trustee or deputy.
  7. The Court file shall be clearly marked with the words “An anonymity order was made in this case on [date of this Order] 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.”
  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 7 days’ notice to the Claimant’s solicitor, trustee or deputy.
  9. 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.
  10. The costs of obtaining this order be costs in the case.