MAL -v- Cambridgeshire County Council (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Case number: AC-2026-LON-002673

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

In the matter of an application for judicial review

18 June 2026

Before:

Richard Wright KC,
sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge

Between:

The King
on the application of
MAL
(Claimant)

-v-

Cambridgeshire County Council
(Defendant)

Order

On an application by the Claimant for anonymity and urgent consideration

Following consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimant

ORDER BY RICHARD WRIGHT KC SITTING AS A DEPUTY HIGH COURT JUDGE

  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 MAL.

(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.

  1. The application for urgent consideration is refused.
  2. The Defendants shall file and serve their respective Acknowledgements of Service in accordance with the requirements of CPR 54.8.
  3. The application for permission to apply for judicial review shall be considered on the papers, at the earliest opportunity following expiry of the period provided at CPR 54.8A to file a Reply to the Acknowledgement of Service.

REASONS

(1) The Claimant is a vulnerable child and there are accordingly compelling reasons for the limited derogations from the principle of open justice in paragraph 1.

(2) I am not satisfied that this Claim should be given priority over others. The order of the tribunal that there should be a mainstream placement that the Claimant alleges has not been implement dates back eight months to October 2025. The Court will be assisted in making its decision on permission by a detailed response to the Claim from the Defendant. I do not consider it appropriate to foreshorten the usual timetable for the service of the Acknowledgement of Service.

Signed: Richard Wright KC

Date: 18th June 2026