CGM -v- Secretary of State for Defence (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Case number: AC-2025-LON-002572

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

29 October 2025

Before:

The Honourable Mrs Justice Lang DBE

Between:

The King on the application of
CGM

-v-

Secretary of State for Defence

and

Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
DAM
DMR
DLR
DLY
DLS
(interested parties)

Order

Notification of the Judge’s decision (CPR 54.11, 54.12)

Following consideration of the documents and pleadings filed by the Claimant and the Acknowledgment of Service and Summary Grounds of Defence filed by the Defendant;

Order by the Honourable Mrs Justice Lang DBE

  1. The application for permission to apply for judicial review is granted on all grounds.
  2. The Claimant is granted permission to rely upon his second witness statement dated 2 September 2025.
  3. The hearing is to be expedited and listed for hearing as soon as reasonably possible after 12 January 2026 (the beginning of the Hilary term).
  4. The hearing is to be listed for 2 days; the parties to provide a written time estimate within 7 days of service of this order if they disagree with this direction.
  5. Venue: London.
  6. 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 and the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Interested Parties are 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 “CGM”.
    c. The Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Interested Parties are to be referred to orally and in writing as “DAM”, “DMR”, “DLR”, “DLY” and “DLS”.
  7. Pursuant to section 11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, there must be no publication of the identity of the Claimant, and the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Interested Parties or of any matter likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant and Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Interested Parties in any report of, or otherwise in connection with, these proceedings.
  8. 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.
  9. Costs in the case.

Case Management Directions

10. The Defendant, and any Interested Party who wishes to contest the claim, shall, within 35 days of the date of this Order, file and serve (a) Detailed Grounds for contesting the claim or supporting it on additional grounds, and (b) any written evidence that is to be relied on.

11. The Claimant may file a Reply within 7 days of the date of service of the Detailed Grounds and/or evidence.

12. Any application by the Claimant to serve evidence in reply must be filed and served, together with a copy of that evidence, within 7 days of the date of service of the Detailed Grounds and/or evidence.

13. The parties must agree the contents of the hearing bundle. The Claimant must file and serve the agreed hearing bundle, not less than 21 days before the date of the hearing. The electronic version of the bundle shall be prepared and lodged by the Claimant in accordance with chapter 21 of the Administrative Court Judicial Review Guide and the Guidance on the Administrative Court website. The Claimant must also lodge a hard-copy version of the hearing bundle at the Administrative Court Office, not less than 21 days before the date of the hearing.

14. The Claimant must file and serve a Skeleton Argument not less than 21 days before the date of the hearing.

15. The Defendant, and any Interested Party wishing to participate in the proceedings, must file and serve a Skeleton Argument not less than 14 days before the date of the hearing.

16. The parties must agree the contents of an authorities bundle. The Claimant must file and serve the agreed authorities bundle, not less than 7 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 7 days before the date of the hearing.

Observations and Reasons

  1. I have granted an anonymity order. The Claimant and his family are at real risk of physical harm. In the circumstances, a departure from the general principle of open justice is justified. Because of the risk to Claimant and his family, I have expedited the hearing. I do not consider it is realistic to fix a date before the seasonal holidays in December.
  2. The Claimant has raised arguable grounds which merit consideration at a full hearing.