GBK and another -v- Ceredigion County Council (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Claim number: AC-2026-CDF-000029

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

13 February 2026

Before:

HIS HONOUR JUDGE KEYSER KC

Between:

THE KING on the application of
(1) GBK (by her litigation friend GRL)
(2) GNF

-v-

CEREDIGION COUNTY COUNCIL

and

WALES AND WEST HOUSING ASSOCIATION
(Interested Party)

Order

On an application by the Claimants for anonymity and expedition

Following consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimants

ORDER BY HIS HONOUR JUDGE KEYSER KC SITTING AS A JUDGE OF THE HIGH COURT

  1. Anonymity:
    (a) Pursuant to CPR r. 39.2(4) and/or the Court’s inherent jurisdiction and/or s. 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998:
    (i) the names of the First Claimant, her litigation friend and the Second Claimant are to be withheld from the public and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in public; and
    (ii) the First Claimant, her litigation friend and the Second Claimant are to be referred to orally and in writing as GBK, GRL and GNF respectively.
    (b) Pursuant to s. 11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, there must be no publication of the identity of the First Claimant or her litigation friend or the Second Claimant or of any matter likely to lead to the identification of them or any of them in any report of, or otherwise in connection with, these proceedings.
    (c) Pursuant to CPR r. 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 First Claimant or her litigation friend or the Second Claimant;
    (ii) if any statement of case subsequently filed includes information likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant or her litigation friend or the Second Claimant, a redacted copy omitting that information must be filed at the same time;
    (iii) unless the Court grants permission under CPR r. 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.
  2. Interested Party
    The Interested Party shall be Wales and West Housing Association, in place of the individual named in the claim form.
  3. Abridgement of time and expedition:
    The application for abridgment of time and expedition is refused. However, the case shall be referred to a Judge for consideration of permission on the papers at the earliest opportunity in accordance with the standard timetable. If permission is granted, consideration can be given at that stage to the appropriate case management directions

Reasons

  1. Anonymity: The First Claimant is a protected party with significant medical issues that are relevant to this case and in respect of which she has a reasonable expectation of privacy. Further, in ongoing Court of Protection proceedings there is an anonymity order in place in respect of her and her family (the litigation friend and the Second Claimant). There are accordingly compelling reasons for the limited derogations from the principle of open justice in paragraph 1.
  2. Interested Party: The claim form, unlike the Statement of Facts and Grounds, inappropriately names a specific individual, rather than the housing association, as the Interested Party. This requires formal correction.
  3. Abridgement of time/expedition: The “Application for Expedition and Anonymity” discloses no urgency or other sufficient reason for abridging the time for filing acknowledgments of service. The papers can be put before a Judge promptly in accordance with the standard timetable, and (if permission is granted) a view can be taken then on the appropriate directions.