LBO -v- Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Case number: AC-2026-BHM-000265

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

In the matter of an application for judicial review

27 July 2026

Before:

HHJ Richard Williams,
sitting as Judge of the High Court

Between:

The King
on the application of
LBO
(a child by their litigation friend, GLF)
(Claimant)

-v-

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
(Defendant)

and

Ryecroft School
(Interested Party)

Order

On an application by the Claimant for urgent consideration, interim relief and directions

On an email request by the Defendant for an extension of time

Following consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimant and the Defendant

ORDER by HHJ Richard Williams sitting as Judge of the High Court

  1. Anonymity:

(a) Under the Court’s inherent jurisdiction and pursuant to s. 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998:

(i) the Claimant’s and their litigation friend’s names are to be withheld from the public and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in public; and

(ii) the Claimant and their litigation friend are to be referred to orally and in writing as respectively “LBO” and “GLF”.

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

(c) Pursuant to CPR 5.4C(4):

(i) the parties must within 7 days file and serve a redacted copy of any statement of case already filed, omitting the name, address and any other information likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant/litigation friend;

(ii) if any statement of case subsequently filed includes information likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant/litigation friend, a redacted copy omitting that information must be filed at the same time and must then be served with the unredacted version;

(iii) unless the Court grants permission under CPR 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.

  1. Expedition: The Claimant’s request for urgent consideration is refused.
  2. Extension of time: The Defendant’s Acknowledgement of Service (CPR 54.8) must be filed and served by 4pm 7 August 2026.

REASONS

Anonymity: The Claimant is a minor child.

Expedition/Extension of time: The claim, which was issued on 9 July 2026, concerns the Claimant being unable to access education since 13 May 2026. I am not persuaded that there is a genuine need for the matter to be considered urgently in circumstances where the school’s summer holidays run from 23 July 2026 to 2 September 2026.

Signed: HHJ Richard Williams
Dated: 27 July 2026