MEV v Secretary of State for the Home Department

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Claim number: AC-2025-LON-003990

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

10 April 2026

Before:

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

Between:

The King
(on the application of

MEV

-v-

Secretary of State for the Home Department

Consent order

UPON the Claimant requesting in pre-action correspondence that the Defendant refer him into the NRM to determine whether there were reasonable grounds that he was a victim of modern slavery and, thus, unsuitable for accommodation at Wethersfield

AND UPON the Claimant filing his claim for judicial review on 4 November 2025 challenging the adequacy of his accommodation at Wethersfield, and seeking, by way of primary relief, a mandatory order that he be relocated from Wethersfield

AND UPON the Claimant receiving a positive Reasonable Grounds Decision dated 14 November 2025 following an NRM referral that was made on his behalf on 30 October 2025

AND UPON the Defendant thereby finding the Claimant to be unsuitable for accommodation at Wethersfield under her Allocation of Accommodation policy and relocating the Claimant to Lea Halls, Bute, Street-Luton, LU1 2WJ on Monday 17 November 2025

AND UPON the Claimant maintaining his application for anonymity and the Defendant having no objections to the same

IT IS ORDERED BY CONSENT THAT:

  1. The Claimant be anonymised as EV.
  2. The Claimant has leave to withdraw the judicial review application save in respect of his claim for damages under the Equality Act 2010, which is subject to (3)-(5) below.
  3. The Claimant’s claim for damages under the Equality Act 2010 shall be stayed for four months, from the date this order is sealed, to enable the parties to explore settlement.
  4. If the claim is not settled by the expiry of the stay, it shall be transferred to the County Court (“the Civil Claim”), under CPR rules 54.20 and 30.5 for determination of liability and, if necessary, quantum.
  5. The parties must notify the Court if the Civil Claim is not settled by the expiry of the stay so that the necessary action is taken to transfer it to the County Court pursuant to paragraph 4.
  6. The issue of costs of the judicial review proceedings is to be determined as follows:

    a. The Defendant may file and serve submissions on costs, limited to two A4 pages, within 28 days from the date this order is sealed;

    b. The Claimant may file and serve submissions on costs in reply, limited to two A4 pages, within 14 days from either:

    (i) service of the Defendant’s submissions or,

    (ii) if the Defendant fails to serve submissions, expiry of the timeframe in
    paragraph 6(a) above;

    c. The Defendant may file and serve further submissions on costs in reply, limited to two A4 pages, within 7 days of service of the Claimant’s submissions; and,

    d. The issue of costs shall thereafter be determined by a Judge on the papers.
  7. All other costs to be reserved to the County Court.
  8. There shall be a detailed assessment of the Claimant’s publicly funded costs in accordance with the Civil Legal Aid (Costs) Regulations 2013 and CPR 47.18.