December 9, 2025

CBW -v- Secretary of State for the Home Department (anonymity order)

Administrative Court High Court King's Bench Division Anonymity Order

Case number: AC-2025-LON-001516

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

In the matter of an application for judicial review

24 November 2025

Before:

The Hon. Mr Justice Kimblin

Between:

The King
on the application of
CBW

-v-

Secretary of State for the Home Department

Order

UPON the Claimant’s applications for: (i) anonymity; (ii) stay; (iii) amendment; (iv) permission to apply for judicial review

UPON consideration of the Amended Detailed Statement of Facts and Grounds, the Defendant’s Summary Grounds and the Reply, the Claimant’s solicitor’s letter of 15th October 2025

ORDER BY THE HON. MR JUSTICE KIMBLIN

Anonymity:

(a) Pursuant to CPR 39.2(4) and/or the Court’s inherent jurisdiction and/or s. 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998:

(i) the Claimant’s name is to be withheld from the public and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in public; and

(ii) the Claimant is to be referred to orally and in writing as CBW.

(b) 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.

(i) the parties must within 14 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;

(ii) 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;

(iv) unless the Court grants permission under CPR 5.4C(6), no non-party many obtain a copy of any unredacted statement of case.

(d) Any person wishing to vary or discharge this Order must make an application, served on each party.

Amendment

(a) The Claimant has permission to rely upon: (i) his Amended Detailed Statement of Facts and Grounds dated 27 June 2025, and (ii) his Supplementary Bundle filed and served on 27 June 2025.

(b) The Defendant has permission, if so advised, to serve an Amended Acknowledgment of Service and Summary Grounds of Defence by 4pm on 5th December 2025.

Adjournment of permission to a hearing:

(a) The application for permission to apply for judicial review is adjourned to be determined after a hearing.

(b) The permission hearing is to be listed with a time estimate of 2 hours, including submissions by the parties and an oral judgment by the judge. If the Claimant considers that more time should be allowed, the time estimate must be included with the request for reconsideration of permission.

(c) By 4pm on 8th December 2025 the Claimant must file and serve an electronic copy of the Permission Hearing Bundle, prepared in accordance with the guidance on the Administrative Court website and containing the following documents:

(i) the Claim Form, Statement of Facts and Grounds and any evidence or other documents filed with the Claim Form;

(ii) any Acknowledgment of Service, Summary Grounds of Defence and any accompanying documents served by any Defendant and/or Interested Party;

(iii) any Reply or other document served by any party to the proceedings at the paper permission stage;

(iv) this Order;

(v) the renewed application for permission to apply for judicial review (on Form 86B);

(vi) any other document the Court would be likely to consider material to its decision on permission to apply for judicial review.

(c) If the Claimant fails to comply with sub-paragraph (b), permission will be determined on the basis of the renewal notice and the documents before the Court at the paper stage, unless at the hearing the Court otherwise directs.

(d) At least 7 days before the date listed for the hearing, the Claimant must file and serve:

(i) a skeleton argument, maximum 15 pages;

(ii) an electronic bundle containing any authorities which the Court needs to read at the hearing (the Authorities Bundle: see para. 22.1.2 of the Administrative Court Judicial Review Guide); and

(iii) if requested by the Court, a hard copy version of the Permission Hearing Bundle and Authorities Bundles.

(e) At least 7 days before the date listed for the hearing, any party other than the Claimant intending to participate in the hearing must file and serve any skeleton argument, maximum 15 pages.

(f) If a party fails to comply with sub-paragraph (b), (d) and/or (e), the Court may have regard to the failure when considering any question about costs at the hearing.

REASONS

(1) Anonymity: The Claimant’s character is in issue as a person who arrived in the UK illegally. There is sufficient reason to consider that there are risks to the Claimant and the Claimant’s family as a result of the facts and issues in this case to justify displacing the strong presumption in favour of the parties to litigation being public. The time period ordered to filed redacted statements of case is aligned with the time period ordered for the permission bundle.

(2) Amendment: There were sensible reasons to issue the Claim in its original form and to amend. I have provided an opportunity for the Secretary of State to update the SGD, but given that I have adjourned the question of permission to a hearing, the skeleton argument would suffice.

(3) Adjournment of permission to a hearing:

a. The Claim challenges guidance which bears upon decisions to grant or refuse citizenship, which is a matter of general application beyond the facts of this claim. It is appropriate that the arguability of the Claimant’s Grounds be considered at a hearing.
b. There are six further claims which raise the same issue on the guidance as arises in this claim. The Claimant’s solicitors indicate that there may be a further ten such cases to issue.
c. The question of case management of those cases arises. I cannot fairly make an order in respect of those cases via this order, but would invite the Secretary of State to consider making an application to stay those cases until permission on this case has been decided.

Signed: MR JUSTICE KIMBLIN

Date: 24th November 2025