CRO -v- Ministry of Defence (anonymity order)
Claim number: KB-2024-001863
In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division
28 November 2024
Before:
Master Gidden
Between:
CRO
-v-
Ministry of Defence
Order
UPON the application notice dated 4 September 2024
(1) Consideration of the Article 8 rights of the Claimant to respect for private and family life, and the Article 10 right to freedom of expression.
(2) It appearing that non-disclosure of the identity of the Claimant, and the perpetrator in respect of the harassment claim, is necessary to secure the proper administration of justice and in order to protect the interests of the Claimant and that there is no sufficient countervailing public interest in disclosure.
AND PURSUANT to section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998; section 11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981; and CPR rules 5.4C, 5.4D and 39.2(4).
WHEREAS for the purposes of this order:
(1) ‘Publication’ includes any speech, writing, broadcast, or other communication in whatever form (including internet and social media), which is addressed to the public at large or any section of the public.
(2) Publication for the purpose of this Order includes any further publication (as defined in subparagraph (i) above from the date of this Order) even if such information has derived from a previous stage or stages of these proceedings.
IT IS ORDERED THAT:
- The identity of the Claimant, CRO, as a party to these proceedings is confidential and shall not be published.
- The identity of the perpetrator in respect of the harassment claim, TRP, is confidential and shall not be published.
- Pursuant to CPR Rule 39.2(4), there shall not be disclosed in any report of these proceedings or other publication the name or address of CRO or friends other immediate family members, or any details (including other names, addresses, or a specific combination of facts) that could lead to her identification. CRO shall be referred to as set out at paragraph 5 of this Order.
- Pursuant to CPR Rule 39.2(4), there shall not be disclosed in any report of these proceedings or other publication the name or address of the perpetrator in respect of the harassment claim, TRP. TRP shall be referred to as set out at paragraph 5 of this Order.
- In any judgment or report of these proceedings, or other publication (by whatever medium) in relation thereto:
(i) The Claimant shall be referred to as “CRO”.
(ii) Any other details which, on their own or together with other information publicly available, may lead to the identification of CRO (including any names of other immediate family members or their addresses) shall be redacted before publication.
(iii) The perpetrator in respect of the harassment claim shall be referred to as TRP. - Pursuant to CPR Rules 5.4C and 5.4D:
(i) A person who is not a party to the proceedings may not obtain a copy of a statement of case, judgment or order from the Court records unless the statement of case, judgment or order has been anonymised in accordance with subparagraph 3(i) above.
(ii) If a person who is not a party to the proceedings applies (pursuant to CPR r.5.4C(1B) or (2)) for permission to inspect or obtain a copy of any other document or communication, such application shall be on at least 7 days’ notice to the Claimant’s solicitor. - The Claimant’s solicitor shall file with the Court an electronic (PDF) bundle of any documents which have already been filed/service in this case, in an anonymised format in accordance with paragraph 3 above by the 27th September 2024.
- The Court file shall be clearly marked with the words “An anonymity order was made in this case on 28th of November 2024 and any application by a non-party to inspect or obtain a copy document from this file must be dealt with in accordance with the terms of that Order.”
- Any interested party, whether or not a party to the proceedings, may apply to the Court to vary or discharge this Order, provided that any such application is made on 7 days’ notice to the Claimant’s solicitor.
- Pursuant to the ‘Practice Guidance: Publication of Privacy and Anonymity Orders’ issued by the Master of the Rolls dated 16 April 2019 a copy of this Order shall be published on the Judicial Website of the High Court of Justice (www.judiciary.uk). For that purpose, a court officer will send a copy of the order by email to the Judicial Office at judicialwebupdates@judiciary.uk.
- The costs of obtaining this order be costs in the case.