NCG -v- Hampshire County Council (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Case number: AC-2025-MAN-000479

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

In the matter of an application for judicial review

16 October 2025

Before:

Andrew Kinnier KC
(Sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court)

Between:

The King
on the application of
NCG

-v-

Hampshire County Council

Order

On an application by the Claimant for anonymity and abridgement of time for the service of the Acknowledgement of Service

Following consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimant

ORDER BY ANDREW KINNIER K.C.
(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 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 “NCG”.

(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. Abridgement of time and expedition:

(a) The Defendant’s Acknowledgement of Service (CPR 54.8) (including its response to the Claimant’s application for an extension of time and interim relief) must be filed and served by 4pm on 24 October 2025.

(b) Any Reply from the Claimant (CPR 54.8A) must be filed and served by 4pm on 29 October 2025.

(c) The papers are to be referred to a judge or deputy judge as soon as possible thereafter to decide permission and interim relief.

REASONS

(1) Anonymity: the Claimant is an asylum seeker. There is evidence that naming the Claimant and/or members of his family will increase the risk they would face if returned to their country of origin. There are accordingly compelling reasons for the limited derogations from the principle of open justice in paragraph 1.

(2) Abridgement of time/expedition: in light of the contents of paras. 21-23 of the Claimant’s statement, there is some urgency in this claim. To that end, time for service of the Acknowledgement of Service (including the Defendant’s response to the Claimant’s application for an extension of time and interim relief) is abridged. Once the Reply is served, the papers are to be placed before a judge/deputy judge to decide permission and interim relief.

Signed: Andrew Kinnier K.C.
Date: 16 October 2025