DBC -v- Westminster City Council (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Case number: AC-2025-LON-003622

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

In the matter of an application for judicial review

21 November 2025

Before:

Marcus Pilgerstorfer KC,
Deputy High Court Judge

Between:

The King
on the application of
DBC
(by way of his litigation friend, the Official Solicitor)
(Claimant)

-v-

Westminster City Council
(Defendant)

and

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
(Interested Party)

Order

On an application by the Claimant for an anonymity order. Following consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimant

ORDER BY MARCUS PILGERSTORFER KC, DEPUTY HIGH COURT JUDGE

  1. 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 DBC.

(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.

(c) Pursuant to CPR 5.4C(4):

(i) 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;

(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;

(iii) 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.

(e) 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

REASONS

(1) Anonymity: The Claimant is a vulnerable person who, due to lack of capacity, brings this claim by the Official Solicitor. He is also an asylum seeker. The claim will require consideration of his health conditions and other personal details. I am satisfied that if he were identified, disclosure of his health conditions and other personal details would pose a risk of significant harm for him were he to be returned to his country of origin. Even absent return, identification poses risks to his health and welfare by disclosure of health/personal details, in respect of which the Claimant has a reasonable expectation of privacy. I must balance these matters concerning the Claimant against the strong public interest in open justice. The anonymity sought in these proceedings is, however, a limited derogation from the open justice principle: it would only anonymise the Claimant’s name. In all the circumstances I am satisfied having conducted the balancing exercise that there are compelling reasons for the limited derogations from the open justice principle, and I grant anonymity as set out in this order.

Signed: Marcus Pilgerstorfer KC, DHCJ
Date: 21 November 2025