KSN -v- Central Bedfordshire Council and others (anonymity order)

Case number: AC-2026-LON-001869

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

In the matter of an application for judicial review

22 April 2026

Before:

The Honourable Mr Justice Sheldon

Between:

The King
on the application of
KSN
(Claimant)

-v-

(1) Central Bedfordshire Council
(2) The Governing Body of Holywell Academy
(3) Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Constabulary
(Defendants)

Order

On an application by the Claimant for interim relief and expedition

Following consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimant

ORDER by the Honourable Mr Justice Sheldon

  1. Anonymity:
    (a) Pursuant to CPR 39.2(4) and the Court’s inherent jurisdiction:

(i) the names of the Claimant and her son are to be withheld from the public and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in public;

(ii) the Claimant is to be referred to orally and in writing as “KSN”;

(iii) the Claimant’s son is to referred to orally and in writing as “LAI”.

(b) Pursuant to s. 11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, there must be no publication of the identity of the Claimant or her son or of any matter likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant or her son in any report of, or otherwise in connection with, these proceedings.

(c) Pursuant to CPR 5.4C(4), unless the Court grants permission under CPR 5.4C(6), no non-party may 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.

  1. The Defendants shall file and serve a response to the application for interim relief, and their Acknowledgment of Service, by 4pm on 11 May 2026.
  2. The Claimant shall, if she wishes, file and serve any reply to the response and/or Acknowledgment of Service by 4pm on 15 May 2026.
  3. The Court shall consider the application for interim relief and permission on the papers in the week commencing 18 May 2026. The case is suitable for a deputy judge of the High Court.
  4. Liberty to apply to vary or set aside the order on 48 hours’ notice to the other party.

Reasons

  1. I make an order for anonymity of the Claimant and her son in this case as the claim involves matters affecting a child under the age of 18 who is suffering from learning difficulties. This justifies a derogation from the principle of open justice, subject to any representations that the Defendants or any media parties wish to make about anonymity.
  2. The Claimant (KSN) makes a series of complaints about the various Defendants. Whilst there is some urgency to the matter as the case concerns the Claimant’s son (LAI), the suitability of his educational arrangements and child protection procedures, it is not so urgent that interim relief needs to be provided at this stage without hearing from the Defendants.
  3. With respect to a child protection meeting that was due to take place today, by the time that the application came before me the meeting may well have taken place so any relief would have been futile. Nevertheless, I would not have granted interim relief as such a meeting does not have irrevocable consequences. It is the first in a series of meetings before any decisions are taken with respect to the safeguarding of a child.
  4. I have made directions that should lead to the application for interim relief and permission considered on the papers in the week commencing 18 May 2026.

Signed: Mr Justice Sheldon

22 April 2026