BEP -v- Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Claim number: AC-2023-LON-3564

In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division
Administrative Court

1 December 2023

Before:

The Honourable Mr Justice Swift

Between:

The King on the application of
BEP

-v-

Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs

Order

On an application by the Claimant for anonymity and for expedition
Following consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimant

ORDER by the Honourable Mr Justice Swift

  1. The Claimant shall be referred to in these proceedings as “BEP”, and pursuant to CPR 39.2 there shall be no publication of the name or address of the Claimant or any particulars of the case likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant without the leave of the court. Any person has liberty on three days’ written notice to the parties to apply to vary or discharge this order.
  2. The time permitted for compliance with CPR 54.8 is abridged. The Defendant shall file and serve its Acknowledgement of Service and Summary Grounds of Defence by 2pm on Thursday 7 December 2023.
  3. The Defendant may, by 2pm on Thursday 7 December 2023, file and serve evidence relied on in response to the claim.
  4. Following compliance with paragraphs 2 and 3 above, the Court will consider what further directions should be made for the determination of this claim.

Reasons

  1. The Claimant requests expedition of the claim up to and including a rolled-up hearing by 12 December 2023.
  2. I agree that the usual time for filing and serving an Acknowledgement of Service and Summary Grounds of Defence should be significantly shortened. However, is important that the Defendant has a sensible period of time to formulate its response. The court will then have a better appreciation of the legal issues in the case, and a better basis on which to decide the further steps, if any, to be taken to expedite the hearing of the claim. The court will similarly be assisted by early sight of the evidence relied on in response to the claim.