BAL -v- KNZ (anonymity order)

County CourtHigh CourtAnonymity OrderJudgment

Case number L00MB686
Appeal ref: KA-2025-LDS-000001

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
LEEDS HIGH COURT APPEAL CENTRE
On appeal from the County Court at Middlesbrough
Order of HHJ Robinson dated 2 December 2024

17 February 2026

Before:

The Honourable Mrs Justice Hill DBE

Between:

BAL

-v-

KNZ

Order

Before the Honourable Mrs Justice Hill DBE sitting on 17th February 2026

UPON hearing the Appellant and Respondent, both in person, by video

IT IS ORDERED THAT:
1. Anonymity:
(a) Under the Court’s inherent jurisdiction and pursuant to s.6 of the Human Rights Act 1998:
(i) the names of the Appellant and the Respondent to be withheld from the public and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in public;
(ii) the Appellant is to be referred to orally and in writing as “BAL”;
(iii) the Respondent is to be referred to orally and in writing as “LNZ”.
Pursuant to s.11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, there must be no publication of the identities of the Appellant or Respondent or of any matter likely to lead to the identification of these individuals in any report of, or otherwise in connection with, these proceedings.
(c) No statement of case or order made in this case may be disclosed to a non-party under CPR 5.4C(1) unless the names of the parties have been redacted in accordance with the ciphers in (a) above.
(d) Any application by a non-party under CPR 5.4C(4) for any other document on the court records must be made on 7 days’ notice to the parties to give them the opportunity to make representations.

2. The Court’s CE-file system shall be clearly marked with the words “An anonymity order was made in this case on 17 February 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”.

3. Pursuant to CPR 39.2(5) and the Practice Guidance: Publication of Privacy and Anonymity Orders 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.

4. No order for costs

Reasons

  1. The Appellant alleges that she is the victim of various sexual offences falling within the scope of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 such that her anonymity is protected by statute.
  2. The Appellant was formerly in a relationship with the person accused of the sexual offences who is related to the Respondent. Anonymity for the Respondent is therefore necessary to reduce the risk of “jigsaw” identification of the Appellant.
  3. The case can be fully reported without either of these individuals being named.
  4. There are accordingly compelling reasons for the limited derogations from the principle of open justice made in this order.