LSN -v- SSHD (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Claim No: AC-2025-LON-00460

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

19 February 2026

Before:
Her Honour Judge Karen Walden-Smith


Between:
The King
on the application of
LSN
-v-
Secretary of State for the Home Department

On an application by the Defendant for a stay and the application by the Claimant for anonymity and an expedited hearing

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

ORDER BY HER HONOUR JUDGE KAREN WALDEN-SMITH sitting as a 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 is to be withheld from the public and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in public; and

    (ii) the Claimant is to be referred to orally and in writing as LSN.

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

    (ii) if any statement of case subsequently filed includes information likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant, 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.
  2. Time
    (a) The Defendant has not yet served an Acknowledgment of Service, having been awaiting an order from the High Court, and the Defendant’s Acknowledgement of Service (CPR 54.8) must be filed and served by no later than 4pm on 12 March 2026.

    (b) Any Reply from the Claimant (CPR 54.8A) must be filed and served by 4pm on 26 March 2026.

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

    The application for a stay

    The application for a stay pending the order made in R(ABW) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWHC 3280 (Admin) is refused,

    REASONS
    (1) Anonymity: The Claimant submits that he has been trafficked and is a victim of modern slavery. He sets out that he was subjected to physical and verbal abuse when he was being trafficked and that he has received
    threats of serious harm, including death. Without anonymity he cannot freely make the allegations of trafficking and there are compelling reasons to support a limited derogation from the principle of open justice.

    (2) Stay The Defendant has sought a stay pending the outcome of any appeal against the decision in R (ABW) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWHC 3280 (Admin). LSN contends that his case is
    distinguishable from ABW and it is not clear that any permission to appeal the decision in ABW has been made, or stay granted. There is clear prejudice to LSN to stay these proceedings pending the outcome in ABW as the Public Order Disqualification (POD) with all its constraints continues to impact the Claimant and there is not sufficient justification to stay this case depending upon the progress of ABW.

    (3) Determination of the application to bring judicial review proceedings. The court needs to see the Defendant’s response to the claim before determining whether permission ought to be granted and so the Defendant is ordered to provide the Acknowledgment of Service by no later than 4pm on 12 March 2026 with the following steps by the dates set out above.

Signed: HHJ Karen Walden-Smith
Date: 18 February 2026