BIT -v- Solicitors Regulation Authority (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Claim number: AC-2025-LON-001678

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

4 June 2025

Before:

Paul Bowen KC sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge

Between:

The King on the application of
BIT

-v-

Solicitors Regulation Authority

and

A&O Shearman
(Interested party)

Order

On applications by the Claimant for an interim injunction, a costscapping order and an anonymity order

Following consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimant:

ORDER by Paul Bowen KC sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge

1. The Defendant shall (and the Interested Party may) file and serve written submissions in response to the applications for (a) an interim injunction restraining the Defendant from continuing the ongoing investigation into C’s alleged misconduct pending the outcome of the claim (b) the costs-capping order (c) anonymity within 21 days of receipt of the Claim for judicial review (alongside the Acknowledgment of Service and Summary Grounds).

2. The matter should thereafter be put before a judge or deputy judge of the Administrative Court to consider the applications, alongside the application for permission to apply for judicial review.

Anonymity

3. Pursuant to CPR 39.2(4) and/or the Court’s inherent jurisdiction and/or s. 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 the Claimant’s name is to be withheld from the public and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in public; and the Claimant is to be referred to orally and in writing as BIT, until further order.

4. Pursuant to s. 11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, there must 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 until further order.

5. Pursuant to CPR 5.4C(4), the parties must within 7 days file a redacted copy of any statement of case filed, omitting the name, address and any other information likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant; if any statement of case subsequently filed includes information likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant, a redacted copy omitting that information must be filed at the same time; and unless the Court grants permission under CPR 5.4C(6), no non-party may obtain a copy of any unredacted statement of case.

6. Any person wishing to apply to vary or discharge this Order must make an Application to the Court, served on each party

Reasons

  1. The Claimant (C) seeks urgent consideration of the applications. However, the PAP letter before claim was only sent to the SRA on 19 May, seeking a response by 2 June, and the Claim Form was then filed before that date. Accordingly, neither the Defendant nor the IP has had an opportunity to respond to the averments made by the C. It is not appropriate to determine the interim injunction application or the costs-capping application without hearing from them.
  2. I am not satisfied that the case calls for expedition and the D and IP will have the usual 21 days from receipt of the Claim Form to file their written submissions.
  3. I have some doubt whether anonymity is justified but I am prepared to make the order on a strictly interim basis for the reasons given by the C at para 113 of the SFG. The other parties (and any other person affected by the order) are invited to make submissions on the anonymity issue and the judge on the next occasion will consider the application afresh.