MYL -v- Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Case number: AC-2026-LDS-000175

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

In the matter of an application for judicial review

20 July 2026

Before:

HHJ Davis-White KC,
sitting as a Judge of the High Court

Between:

The King
on the application of
MYL
(by their mother and Litigation Friend, MAT)
(Claimant)

-v-

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
(Defendant)

Order

Following consideration of the documents filed by the Claimant

ORDER BY HH JUDGE DAVIS-WHITE KC
(sitting as a Judge of the High Court)

ALL PARTIES SHOULD NOTE THAT THE ORDERS WHICH FOLLOW INCLUDE PROVISION FOR AN EXPEDITED HEARING AND A RELATED SHORT TIMETABLE, ARISING FROM THE NATURE OF THE DECISIONS CHALLENGED.

  1. Adjournment of permission and interim relief to a hearing: The application for permission to apply for judicial review and the application for an interim hearing are adjourned to be determined after a hearing. That hearing should be expedited and heard before 28 August 2026 (if possible).
  2. Expedition: The hearing is to be listed on/no later than 28 August 2026 (if possible) with a time estimate of half a day (including submissions and judgment). If a party considers that more time should be allowed then they must inform the court immediately.
  3. Case Management Directions:

(a) The Defendant must, within 21 days of the date of service of this Order, file and serve (i) Summary (or Detailed) Grounds for contesting the claim and (ii) any written evidence to be relied on.

(b) Any evidence in reply must be filed and served, within 7 days of the date on which the Defendant serves evidence pursuant to (a) above.

(c) The parties must agree the contents of the hearing bundle. An electronic version of the bundle must be prepared and lodged, in accordance with the Administrative Court Judicial Review Guide Chapter 21 and the Guidance on the Administrative Court website, by 10am on the day which is not less than 5 business days before the date of the substantive hearing. The parties must, if requested by the Court, lodge 2 hard-copy versions of the hearing bundle.

(d) Skeleton Arguments (maximum 25 pages), complying with CPR 54 PD para. 15 and the Administrative Court Judicial Review Guide paras 20.1 to 20.3, must be filed and served by 10am the day which is two business days before the date of the substantive hearing.

(e) The Defendant must file and serve a Skeleton Argument (maximum 25 pages), complying with CPR 54 PD para. 15 and the Administrative Court Judicial Review Guide paras 20.1 to 20.3, not less than 14 days before the date of the substantive hearing.

(f) The parties must agree the contents of a bundle containing the authorities to be referred to at the hearing. An electronic version of the bundle must be prepared in accordance with the Guidance on the Administrative Court website. The parties must, if requested by the Court, prepare a hard-copy version of the authorities bundle. The electronic version of the bundle and if requested, the hard copy version of the bundle, must be lodged with the Court by no later the 10am one business day before ethe hearing.

  1. Anonymity and related orders

(a) The claimant’s name and the name of their litigation friend is to be withheld from the public and must not to be disclosed in any proceedings in open court

(b) Pursuant to CPR Rule 39.2(4), there shall not be disclosed in any report of these proceedings, or other publication (by whatever medium) in relation to these proceedings, the name or address of the Claimant or of their litigation friend, or any other matters which could lead to the identification of any of them.

(c) In any report of these proceedings, or other publication (by whatever medium) in relation to these proceedings, the Claimant shall be referred to as “MYL” and their litigation friend shall be referred to as ‘MAT’. Any matters which could lead to the identification of either of them shall be redacted.

(d) Pursuant to s.11 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.

(e) Pursuant to CPR Rule 5.4C:

(1) The parties must, when filing any statement of case, also field a redacted copy of that statement of case omitting the name, address and any other information which could lead to the identification of the claimant or their litigation friend;
(2) a person who is not a party to the proceedings may obtain a copy of a claim form, judgment or order from the court records only if the same has been anonymised and redacted in accordance with paragraphs 4(b)-(e) of this Order;
(3) if a person who is not a party to the proceedings applies for permission to obtain a copy of any other document or communication, such application shall be on at least 7 days’ written notice to the parties;

(f) any interested party, whether or not a party to the proceedings, may at any time apply to the Court to vary or discharge paragraph 4 of this Order, provided that any such application is made on written notice to the Claimant and that at least 3 days’ prior written notice of the intention to make such an application is given.
(g) This Order shall be published on the website of the Judiciary of England and Wales pursuant to CPR r.39.2(5).

  1. Applications regarding this order

(a) This order having been made without a hearing and of the court’s own motion any party must apply within 7 days of service of this Order upon them if they wish to apply to vary or discharge this order.

(b) Liberty to apply as regards paragraphs 4.

OBSERVATIONS AND REASONS

(1) The application for interim relief is urgent as if successful it will alter the educational provision for a child which would need to be in place at the start of September 2026. As interim relief is likely to consider issues which will arise on the application for permission to proceed with judicial review it is sensible to have the two issues determined together.
(2) As regards anonymity and associated orders, the claimant is a child and the case concerns their educational needs.

Signed: HHJ Davis-White KC
Date: 20 July 2026