HMM -v- London Borough of Tower Hamlets (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Claim number: AC-2026-LON-000870

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

3 March 2026

Before:

Matthew Butt KC

Between:

THE KING on the application of
HMM

-v-

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Order

Following consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimant and Defendant

ORDER by Matthew Butt KC Sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court

      1. The Defendant shall file its Acknowledgment of Service and submissions and/or evidence in response to the application for interim relief by 4pm on 17 March 2026.
      1. The Claimant shall file any reply to the above by 4pm on 24 March
      2. The Claimant’s application for interim relief is to be listed for an oral hearing as soon as possible on or after 30 March 2026. The judge shall also decide whether to grant permission at this hearing.
      3. The combined time estimate for both matters is two hour and a half hours including judgment if not reserved. Any party disagreeing with that estimate must email the court within 7 days (copying other parties) giving reasons.
      4. The Parties shall file and exchange skeleton arguments by 10am two working days before the hearing referred to in paragraph 4.
      5. Pursuant to CPR 39.2(4), and the Court’s inherent jurisdiction
        a. the names of the Claimant HMM, her two children HMD and HDH, her younger brother HMP and her mother HMC, must not be disclosed in these proceedings
        b. The Claimant is to be referred to orally and in writing by the ciphers set out at (a) above.
        c. Pursuant to section 11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, there must be no publication of the identities of the Claimant, her two children, her mother, or her younger brother, or of any matter likely to lead to the identification of those persons in any report of, or otherwise in connection with, these proceedings.
        Pursuant to CPR 5.4C(4):
        The Claimant must within 3 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, her two children, her younger brother or her mother;
        If any statement of case subsequently filed includes information likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant, her two children, her younger brother or her mother, a redacted copy omitting that information must be filed at the same time; and
        d. Unless the Court grants permission under CPR 5.4C(6), no non party may obtain a copy of any unredacted statement of case.

        Reasons

        1. The primary reason for the Claimant requesting expedition and interim relief when the claim was filed was the threatened revocation of HMC’s care package by the Defendant unless the family move back to Tower Hamlets (see SFG §7(a) and §63-69).
        2. In the Claimant’s 24.02.25 application notice, the court was told that Newham will take over the care package on 03 March (albeit with reduced service, and without a Somali carer). The Claimant still asks for expedition and interim relief on the basis of the Claimant’s circumstances more generally. I do not consider that even the revised timetable put forward by the Claimant is now workable.
        3. Given the comparative complexity of the matters raised in the claim and the significance of the decision on interim relief this will require an oral hearing. The best way to progress the claim at this stage is for that interim hearing to be listed in line with my directions as set out above and for permission to be determined at that hearing. The judge will then be better placed to make a decision upon whether the claim requires expedition going forward.
        4. I have granted anonymity to the Claimant and the specified family members given the allegations of serious abuse set out in the claim.