HBL and others -v- Newport City Council (anonymity order)

County CourtAnonymity Order

Claim number: M00NP544

In the Newport County Court

7 January 2026

Before:

District Judge Jackson

Between:

(1) HBL
(2) HBM
(3) HBN
(4) HBO
(5) HBP
(Children, by their litigation friend, The Official Solicitor)

-v-

Newport City Council

Anonymity order

BEFORE District Judge Jackson sitting at Newport County Court on 7 January 2026

UPON HEARING the Claimants’ application for Anonymity

AND UPON the Application Notice dated 21 October 2025

AND UPON CONSIDERING the Article 8 rights of the Claimants to respect for private and family life and the risk of harm that identification may cause to the Claimants

AND UPON CONSIDERING the importance of open justice and the Article 10 right to freedom of expression

AND UPON THE COURT CONCLUDING that non-disclosure of the [Claimant’s/other person’s] identity is necessary to secure the proper administration of justice and in order to protect the [Claimant’s/other person’s] interests

AND UPON THE COURT FURTHER CONCLUDING that it is necessary to make a reporting restriction order

IT IS ORDERED that

  1. The names of the Claimants are to be withheld in the statements of case, and in any judgments and orders in this claim, and for those purposes:

i. The First Claimant shall be referred to as HBL

ii. The Second Claimant shall be referred to as HBM

iii. The Third Claimant shall be referred to as HBN

iv. The Fourth Claimant shall be referred to as HBO

v. The Fifth Claimant shall be referred to as HBP

  1. The Claimants’ address on the claim form shall be substituted by the Litigation Friend’s address.
  2. No report, whether oral or in writing, or other communication in whatever form (including internet or social media) addressed to the public at large or any section of the public, of or concerning this claim which is published from the date of this order may include:

a. The name or address [or school /or workplace/ any other specific feature] of the Claimants;

b. Any particulars likely to lead to the identification of the Claimants;

c. Any image or likeness of the Claimants

  1. Any reports or other communications to the public which exist prior to the date of this order are not affected by this order.
  2. 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 subparagraphs 1 and 2 above.

  1. The Claimants’ solicitor shall file with the Court copies of any existing statements of case anonymised in accordance with paragraph 1 and 2 above by 21 days from date of the order.
  2. The Court file shall be clearly marked with the words “An anonymity order was made in this case on 7 January 2026 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.”
  3. Any interested party, whether or not a party to the proceedings, may apply to the Court to vary or set aside this Order, provided that any such application is made on 7 days’ notice to the Claimants’ solicitor, trustee or deputy.
  4. This order shall lapse automatically on the death of the Claimants and its provisions shall have no effect from that time.
  5. Pursuant CPR 39.2(5) a copy of this Order shall be published on the website of the Judiciary of England and Wales (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.