LIC -v- Hull City Council (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Case number: AC-2026-LDS-000136

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

In the matter of an application for judicial review

24 June 2026

Before:

Benjamin Douglas-Jones KC,
sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court

Between:

The King
on the application of
LIC
(by her Litigation Friend, LLV)
(Claimant)

-v-

Hull City Council
(Defendant)

Order

On an application by the Claimant for immediate consideration

Following consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimant

ORDER BY BENJAMIN DOUGLAS-JONES KC,
SITTING AS A DEPUTY JUDGE OF THE HIGH COURT

  1. Anonymity:

(a) Pursuant to CPR 39.2(4) and/or the Court’s inherent jurisdiction and/or s. 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998:

(i) the Claimant’s name and those of her mother and father are is to be withheld from the public and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in public; and

(ii) the Claimant, mother and father are to be referred to orally and in writing, respectively as LIC, LLV and LLD.

(b) Pursuant to s. 11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, there must be no publication of the identity of the Claimant, the Claimant’s mother and/or father or of any matter likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant the Claimant’s mother and/or father 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 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 the Claimant’s mother and/or father;

(ii) if any statement of case subsequently filed includes information likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant, the Claimant’s mother and/or father, a redacted copy omitting that information must be filed at the same time;

(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. Litigation Friend

(a) LLV, LIC’s mother, must file and serve a Form N235 Certificate of Suitability in accordance with Civil Procedure Rules, rule 21.5(3) to (5)) and a certificate of service in accordance with CPR, rule 21.5(5)(b) by 4pm on 1 July 2026.

  1. Abridgement of time and expedition:

(a) The Defendant’s Acknowledgement of Service (CPR 54.8) must be filed and served by 4pm on 3 July 2026.

(b) Any Reply from the Claimant (CPR 54.8A) must be filed and served by 4pm on 6 July 2026.

(c) The papers are to be referred to a judge or deputy judge within 7 days thereafter.

REASONS

(1) Anonymity: The claim is brought on behalf of a child and concerns s.17 Children Act 1989 funding in which the Claimant has a reasonable expectation of privacy. There are accordingly compelling reasons for the limited derogations from the principle of open justice in paragraph 1.

(2) Litigation friend: The Claim can only proceed by a litigation friend of the Claimant because she is a very young child. I have made the direction at §2 so that the proceedings can be regularised through the filing and service of a Form N235 and certificate of service.

(3) Abridgement of time/expedition: I am not in a position to assess the alleged justification for urgency advanced on behalf of the Claimant on the strength of the documents submitted on behalf of the claimant alone. Accordingly, I have abridged time for the filing and service of an Acknowledgement of Service, so that the Court has the benefit of submissions on behalf of the Defendant before any decision is made. I have abridged time with competing interests of both parties considered in the context of the application for immediate consideration.

Signed: Benjamin Douglas-Jones KC
Date: 24 June 2026