FIN -v- Northamptonshire Children’s Trust (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Case number: AC-2025-BHM-000419

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

In the matter of an application for judicial review

6 January 2026

Before:

HHJ Tindal
(sitting as a Judge of the High Court)

Between:

The King
on the application of
FIN
(Claimant)

-v-

Northamptonshire Children’s Trust
(Defendant)

and

Telford and Wrekin Council
(Interested Party)

Order

Notification of the Judge’s decision on the application for expedition

After consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimant

ORDER by HHJ Tindal (Sitting as a Judge of the High Court)

  1. Pursuant to CPR 39.2(4)) and the Court’s inherent jurisdiction:
    a. No person shall identify the Claimant in connection with these proceedings. The Claimant shall be referred to as FIN.
    b. A non-party may not obtain or inspect a copy of any Statement of Case or any other document filed with the Court and to which a non-party may have access pursuant to CPR 5.4A-D or otherwise, unless it has been produced or edited so as to comply with para.1 of this Order and/or any subsequent direction made by the Court.
    c. Anyone affected by the terms of this Order shall have permission to apply to vary or set aside any part of it, on 3 working days’ notice to the Claimant’s solicitors.
  2. The need for a Litigation Friend is dispensed with under CPR 21.2(3).
  3. Time for the Defendant (and if so advised, the Interested Party) to file an Acknowledgement of Service is extended to 4pm on 19th January 2026.
  4. Time for the Claimant to file any Reply is extended to 26th January 2026.
  5. The Claimant’s application for interim relief is adjourned until permission.
  6. Costs in the Case

Reasons

  1. The Claimant is a national of Chad who arrived in the UK apparently unlawfully around 15th October 2025 and claimed asylum contending that he was a child. On 17th October 2025, the Defendant in a ‘short-form’ age assessment decided the Claimant was an adult. Indeed, the Home Office separately reached the same conclusion on 18th October 2025 and since then has accommodated him at adult immigration accommodation in the area of the Interested Party. The Claimant presented this claim on 23rd December 2025, so it could not be issued until 30th December 2025.  
  2. I will grant the Claimant’s applications for anonymity, to dispense with a Litigation Friend and for expedition (although I will provide for a Reply as well). Given the Claimant is accommodated in a different authority area (albeit by the Home Office not the Interested Party itself), that may be relevant to interim relief (c.f. Derby CC v UYR [2025] EWCA Civ 1648). In any event it is appropriate to have the response of the Defendant on the merits in any event before considering interim relief and permission.

Signed HHJ Tindal