BLP -v- Secretary of State for the Home Department
Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order
Claim number: AC-2025-LON-001085
In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division
Administrative Court
10 April 2025
Before:
The Honourable Mrs Justice Lang DBE
Between:
The King on the application of
BLP
-v-
Secretary of State for the Home Department
(HO Ref: N1172922)
Order
On the Claimant’s application for an anonymity order, urgent consideration, directions and interim relief
Following consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimant;
Order by the Honourable Mrs Justice Lang DBE
1. Under the Court’s inherent jurisdiction and pursuant to section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 and CPR 39.2(4):
a. The name of the Claimant is to be withheld from the public and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in public.
b. The Claimant is to be referred to orally and in writing as “BLP”.
2. Pursuant to section 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.
3. Pursuant to CPR 5.4C:
a. Within 7 days of the date of service of this order, the parties must file and serve a redacted copy of any statement of case already filed, omitting the name, address and any other information likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant;
b. 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 must then be served with the unredacted version;
c. Unless the Court grants permission under CPR 5.4C(6), no non-party may obtain a copy of any unredacted statement of case.
4. The Defendant’s Acknowledgment of Service and Summary Grounds of Resistance, including a response to the application for interim relief, must be filed and served by 4 pm on 17 April 2025.
5. The Defendant must file and serve an indexed and paginated bundle of all relevant documents in its possession or control relating to the Claimant which are not already included in the Claimant’s bundle, by 4 pm on 17 April 2025.
6. Any Reply from the Claimant must be filed and served by 4 pm on 24 April 2025.
7. The application for permission to apply for judicial review and for interim relief is to be listed for a hearing to be fixed as soon as possible after 30 April 2025. Time estimate: 1½ hours.
8. The Claimant must file and serve an agreed authorities bundle, not less than 5 days before the date of the hearing. The electronic version of the bundle shall be prepared by the Claimant in accordance with the Guidance on the Administrative Court website. The Claimant must also lodge a hard-copy version of the authorities bundle at the Administrative Court Office, not less than 5 days before the date of the hearing.
9. Liberty to apply to vary or discharge this order on 2 days notice to the other party.
10. Costs reserved.
Reasons
1. I have granted an anonymity order. The Claimant is an asylum seeker who claims to be at risk. In the circumstances, a departure from the general principle of open justice is justified.
2. The Claimant has a lengthy immigration history. He has been served with a deportation order and his claim for asylum has not yet been determined. Most recently, he was detained on 7 March 2025.
3. The Defendant has accepted that he is a Level 3 under the Adult at Risk policy. The First-tier Tribunal granted bail in principle on 18 March 2025, subject to the provision of accommodation.
4. The Defendant accepted that the Claimant was eligible for accommodation under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, on 25 March 2025. On 8 April 2025, the Defendant stated that it could not provide any time frame for his release.
5. The matter is clearly urgent and therefore I have set out an expedited timetable. I consider that the Claimant’s proposed directions are insufficient and his timetable is too short. Therefore I have made what I consider to be appropriate amendments to the draft order sought.
6. If the Defendant makes a firm offer of accommodation in the near future, the parties are requested to notify the court so that the hearing can be vacated.