AXA -v- Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police (anonymity order)
Claim number: KB-2025-002140
In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division
11 September 2025
Before:
Master Sullivan
Between:
AXA
-v-
Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police
Order
UPON APPLICATION by the Claimant by Application Notice dated 24 June 2025 seeking anonymity for the Claimant in proceedings that have already been issued on 12 June 2025
AND UPON READING the Witness Statement of Sophie Naftalin dated 24 June 2025 in support of the Anonymity Application
AND UPON
(a) Consideration of Section 1 of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992
(b) Consideration of the Article 8 ECHR rights of the Claimant to respect for private and family life, and the Article 10 ECHR right to freedom of expression.
(c) 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.
(d) The Defendant indicating its neutrality to the making of the order and there being no representations from the press or any other interested party.
(e) ‘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.
IT IS ORDERED THAT
Anonymity
- Pursuant to CPR 39.2:
(a) the Claimant’s name is to be withheld from the public and must not to be disclosed in any proceedings in open court;
(b) There shall not be disclosed in any report of these proceedings or other publication the name or address of the Claimant 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.
(c) The Claimant is permitted to amend the claim form in these proceedings, naming the Claimant as “AXA” and giving an address c/o the Claimant’s solicitors;
(d) There to be substituted for all purposes in these proceedings in place of references to the Claimant by name, and whether orally or in writing, references to the letters “AXA”;
(e) The Claimant’s solicitor shall file with the Court copies of any existing statements of case anonymised in accordance with sub paragraphs (c) and (d) above within 21 days of this order.
(f) The parties must ensure that material likely (a) to identify the Claimant or (b) to undermine the effectiveness of the orders made in this paragraph is not included in documents filed in the claim otherwise than by way of confidential schedule (clearly to be marked as such);
Reporting restriction
- Pursuant to s.11 Contempt of Court Act 1981, there shall 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, provided that nothing in this Order shall prevent the publication, disclosure or communication of any information which is contained in this Order.
Restrictions on access to documents on the court file
- (a) Without further order of the Court, a non-party may not obtain access to or copies of any confidential schedules to any (i) statements of case; (ii) witness statements; (iii) applications; (iv) Orders; and/or skeleton arguments (“the Restricted Documents”) from the Court file.
(b) Any non-party wishing to obtain access to or copies of the Restricted Documents, must make an application to the Court, such application to be made by Application Notice served on the parties at least 24 hours before the Application is made. - The Court file shall be clearly marked with the words “An anonymity order was made in this case on 11 September 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.”
Publication of the order
- Pursuant to CPR 39.2(5) 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.
Service of this Order on the Defendant
- Within 7 days of the application, the Claimant must serve on the Defendant a copy of this Order and a copy of the Application Notice and evidence in support.
Application to vary/discharge
- Any interested party, whether or not a party to the proceedings, may apply to the Court to vary or set aside this Order, provided that any such application is made on 7 days’ notice to the Claimant’s solicitor.
Costs
- Costs of the application are to be in the case.