DIN and others -v- Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Domestic Affairs and another (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Case number: AC-2025-LON-003908

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

In the matter of an application for judicial review

11 November 2025

Before:

The Honourable Mr Justice Sheldon

Between:

The King
on the application of
(1) DIN
(2) DND
(3) DTG by their litigation friend (DIN)
(4) DSL by their litigation friend (DIN)
(5) DOC by their litigation friend (DIN)
(6) DOD by their litigation friend (DIN)
(Claimants)

-v-

(1) Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Domestic Affairs
(2) Secretary of State for the Home Department
(Defendants)

Order

On an application by the Claimants for anonymity, urgent consideration of their claim and for the claim to be listed with AC-2025-LON-003818 (RKC1 etc), and on an application by the Defendants for a stay of the proceedings

Following consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimants and upon considering submissions from the Claimants and the Defendants

ORDER by the Honourable Mr Justice Sheldon, amended pursuant to the slip rule

  1. Anonymity

(a) The Claimants’ names are to be withheld from the public and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in open court.

(b) There is to be substituted for all purposes in these proceedings in place of references to the Claimants by name, and whether orally or in writing, references to their respective ciphers:

i. The First Claimant’s cipher is to be “DIN”.
ii. The Second Claimant’s cipher is to be “DND”.
iii. The Third Claimant’s cipher is to be “DTG”.
iv. The Fourth Claimant’s cipher is to be “DSL”.
v. The Fifth Claimant’s cipher is to be “DOC”.
vi. The Sixth Claimant’s cipher is to be “DOD”.

(c) Pursuant to s.11 Contempt of Court Act 1981 and CPR Rule 39.2(4), there must be no publication of the identity of the Claimants or any matter likely to lead to the identification of the Claimants in any report of, or otherwise in connection with, these proceedings.

(d) Pursuant to CPR 5.4C:
i. The parties must, when filing any statement of case, also file a redacted copy of the statement of case omitting the name, address and any other information which could lead to the identification of the Claimants.
ii. Unless the Court grants permission no non-party may obtain an unredacted copy of any statement of case or any other document which would identify the Claimants must be made on notice to the parties.

(e) Paragraphs 1(a)-(e) of this Order shall be known as the “Anonymity Provisions”.

(f) Any person wishing to apply to vary or discharge the Anonymity Provisions must make an application to the Court, served on each party.

  1. Stay: The Defendants’ application for a stay is refused.

3. Joint Listing: The Claimants’ application for their claim to be listed to be heard with AC-2025-LON-003818 is refused.

4. Case Management Directions

(a) The Defendants must file and serve their Acknowledgment of Service, Detailed Grounds (to stand as Summary Grounds as well), and any written evidence relied upon by 4pm on 27 November 2025.

(b) The Claimants must file and serve evidence in reply by 4pm on 4 December 2025.

(c) The parties shall make submissions to the Court within 7 days of the hand-down of the judgment in the case of AC-2025-LON-003818 (RKC1 etc) as to the future progress of the case, and the papers shall be referred to the High Court judge who hears the case of AC-2025-LON-003818 (RKC1 etc) as soon as possible thereafter to make further case management directions, including (if appropriate) an order for an urgent ‘rolled-up’ hearing of the case.

  1. Costs reserved.

Reasons

  1. The Second to Sixth Claimants are currently residing in Gaza. They seek to join DIN (the husband of DND, the father of DTG, DSL and DOC, and the uncle of DOD), who is living in the United Kingdom. They claim that the Defendants are refusing to collaborate with each other to achieve the exit of the Second to Sixth Claimants from Gaza so that they can come to the United Kingdom.
  2. There is a degree of urgency to this matter given the conditions that the Second to Sixth Claimants are experiencing in Gaza, and resolution of the matter is required as soon as possible.
  3. The circumstances of the Claimants’ case are substantially similar to that of RKC1 and others, AC-2025-LON-003818. An expedited timetable and a rolled-up hearing for one day on 28 November 2025 has been ordered for that case. It is not practicable, however, for the Claimants’ case to run on the same timetable as that case or to be heard at the same time. The Defendants require sufficient time to prepare their evidence in the Claimants’ particular case; and the hearing of the Claimants’ case cannot sensibly be accommodated within the one day that has been listed for AC-2025-LON-003818.
  4. I do not consider that it is appropriate to grant a stay of the Claimants’ case. Whilst there are substantial similarities with the case of RKC1 and others, there is no guarantee that the outcome of that case will mean that the same result will apply, or be applied, to the Claimants’ case.
  5. Nevertheless, it is highly likely that the outcome of the case of RKC1 and others will have some impact on the Claimants’ case. So as to ensure that all options remain open, including an urgent hearing of the Claimants’ case if that is called for, the most appropriate course of action in accordance with the overriding objective is for there to be a tight timetable for directions in the Claimants’ case, and for the parties to make submissions to the Court as to the further progress of this case once the judgment in RKC1 and others has been handed down.
  6. On its face and for the reasons set out in the application, there is a need for anonymity. This can, however, be reconsidered on application by any party, or any third party.

Signed: Mr Justice Sheldon

11 November 2025