AXB -v- Surrey & Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (anonymity order)
Claim number: QB-2022-000149
In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division
Royal Courts of Justice
21 March 2023
Before:
Ms Susie Alegre, sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court
Between:
AXB (A Protected Party By His Litigation Friend TXA)
-v-
Surrey & Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Anonymity Order
BEFORE Susie Alegre sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice on 21 March 2023.
UPON HEARING Leading Counsel for the Claimant and Leading Counsel for the Defendant.
WHEREAS the Claimant has made a claim (the “claim”) against the Defendant for personal injuries suffered by him on 30 January 2017 arising out of the Defendant’s negligence and in respect of which proceedings have been commenced by the Claimant against the Defendant in the High Court of Justice King’s Bench Division.
AND WHEREAS the Claimant is a protected party who brings the claim by his Litigation Friend.
AND WHEREAS the Claimant is a protected beneficiary.
AND WHEREAS the parties have reached agreement in respect of the issue of contributory negligence and the matter is before the Court for approval of the proposed terms of settlement pursuant to the provisions of CPR 21.10.
AND UPON
(1) Consideration of the Claimant’s Article 8 right 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 and Litigation Friend 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.
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 BY CONSENT THAT:
- The identity of the Claimant and the Litigation Friend in these proceedings is confidential and shall not be disclosed.
- Pursuant to CPR 39.2(4) there shall not be disclosed in any report of these proceedings or other publication the name or address of the Claimant, or his litigation friend or any details leading to the identification of either of them. The Claimant and litigation friend shall be referred to in these proceedings as set out at paragraph 3 of this Order.
- In any judgment or report of these proceedings, or other publication (by whatever medium) in relation thereto:
(i) The Claimant shall be referred to as “AXB”.
(ii) The Litigation Friend shall be referred to as “TXA”.
(iii) Any other details which, on their own or together with other information publicly available, may lead to the identification of the Claimant or Litigation Friend (including any names of other immediate family members or their addresses) shall be redacted before publication. - Pursuant to CPR 5.4C and 5.4D
(i) a person who is not a party to these 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), 3(ii) and 3 (iii) above.
(ii) 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.
- The Court file shall be clearly marked with the words “An anonymity order was made in this case on 21st March 2023 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.”
- 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.
- 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 the attached anonymized version 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.
- Costs in the case.
Explanatory Note
The order defines the scope of ‘publication’ and makes clear that it is a communication which is “addressed to the public at large or any section of the public”. Set out below is a non-exhaustive list of examples of communications and records which would not constitute publication within the meaning of this order (providing always that proper steps are taken to protect the confidentiality of information from being made public). In this list references to ‘the anonymised party’ include that party’s appointed representatives and advisers, such as solicitor, Litigation Friend, attorney, trustee and deputy.
(i) Communications between the Court Funds Office and the anonymised party in relation to the payment of money into the Court Funds Office for the benefit of the anonymised party or the investment or treatment of payment out of such money.
(ii) Communications between the Court Funds Office, the anonymised party, and any financial institution concerned as to the receipt or investment of such money.
(iii) Records kept by the Court Funds Office, the anonymised party, and any financial institution concerned as to the receipt or investment of the Claimant’s money.
(iv) Retention by all parties to the claim, their representatives, and their advisers of their unredacted files for the purposes of their continuing functions and obligations in relation to the proceedings.
(v) Communications between the Defendant(s), their insurers, or their successors in title and their legal and professional advisers, reinsurers, HM Revenue and Customs (or its successor), the Compensation Recovery Unit or any other person required by law.
(vi) Communications between the anonymised party’s representatives and advisers in managing that party’s affairs.
(vii) Communications for the purpose of obtaining medical care, advice or treatment for the anonymised party.
(viii) Communications by or on behalf of a paying party for the purposes of ascertaining whether the anonymised party is alive, so entitled to continuing periodical payments.