NOC -v- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (anonymity order)
Claim number: KB-2023-001622
In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division
14 July 2025
Before:
HHJ De Bertadano (sitting as a Judge of the High Court)
Between:
NOC (a protected party, through her mother and Litigation Friend LOC)
-v-
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
Order
UPON AN APPLICATION MADE ON 14 July 2025 by the Claimant
AND UPON the Defendant indicating that it is neutral to the making of the order and there being no representations from any other interested party
AND UPON
- Consideration of the Article 8 rights of the Claimant and their family to respect for their private and family life and the Article 10 right to freedom of expression
- It appearing to the Court that the order below is necessary to protect the Claimant and their family and their rights under Article 8 and that these outweigh the countervailing Article 10 interest in open justice to the extent of that order
AND PURSUANT to section 6 Human Rights Act 1998, section 11 Contempt of Court Act 1981 and CPR 5.4C and D and 39.2(4)
WHEREAS
- For the purposes of this order:
i) ‘Publication’ includes any speech, writing, broadcast, or other communication in whatever form (including internet and social media), which is addressed to the public at large or any section of the public.
ii) Publication for the purpose of this Order includes any further publication (as defined in subparagraph (i) above) from the date of this Order, even if such information has derived from a previous stage or stages of these proceedings. - For the avoidance of doubt, set out below is a non-exhaustive list of examples of communications and records which do not constitute publication within the meaning of this order (providing always that proper steps are taken to protect the confidentiality of information from being made public). In this list references to ‘the anonymised party’ include that party’s appointed representatives and advisers, such as solicitor, Litigation Friend, attorney, trustee and deputy.
i) Communications between the Court Funds Office and the anonymised party in relation to the payment of money into the Court Funds Office for the benefit of the anonymised party or the investment or treatment of payment out of such money.
ii) Communications between the Court Funds Office, the anonymised party, and any financial institution concerned as to the receipt or investment of such money.
iii) Records kept by the Court Funds Office, the anonymised party, and any financial institution concerned as to the receipt or investment of the Claimant’s money.
iv) Retention by all parties to the claim, their representatives, and their advisers of their unredacted files for the purposes of their continuing functions and obligations in relation to the proceedings.
v) Communications between the Defendant(s), their successors in title and their legal and professional advisers, HMRC (or its successor), the CRU or any other person required by law.
vi) Communications between the anonymised party’s representatives and advisers in managing that party’s affairs.
vii) Communications for the purpose of obtaining medical care, advice or treatment for the anonymised party.
IT IS ORDERED THAT:
- The identity of the Claimant as a party to these proceedings is withheld from the public in the proceedings and shall be replaced with ciphers as set out below.
- Pursuant to section 11 Contempt of Court Act 1981, there shall not be disclosed in any report of these proceedings or other publication the name or address of either of the Claimant, the Litigation Friend or other immediate family members, or any details (including other names, addresses, or a specific combination of facts) that could lead to the identification of NOC or LOC as the Claimant and Litigation Friend in these proceedings. The Claimant and family members shall be referred to as set out at paragraph 3 of this Order.
- In any judgment or report of these proceedings, or other publication (by whatever medium) in relation thereto:
- The Claimant shall be referred to as “NOC”.
- The Litigation Friend shall be referred to as “LOC”.
- Any other details liable to lead to the identification of the Claimant or Litigation Friend (including any names of other immediate family members or their addresses) shall be redacted before publication.
- Pursuant to CPR rr5.4C(4):
- A person who is not a party to the proceedings may not obtain a copy of a statement of case, judgment or order from the Court records unless the statement of case, judgment or order has been anonymised in accordance with subparagraphs 3(i) to (iii) above.
- If a person who is not a party to the proceedings applies (pursuant to CPR rr5.4C(1B) or (2)) for permission to inspect or obtain a copy of any other document or communication, such application shall be on at least 7 days’ notice to the Claimant’s solicitor, trustee or deputy.
- The Court file shall be clearly marked with the words “An order was made in this case on 14 July 2025 which withheld the identity of the Claimant as a party to proceedings and made associated restricted reporting orders and restrictions to non-parties accessing documents from the Court’s records and any application by a non-party to inspect or obtain a copy document from this file must be dealt with in accordance with the terms of that Order.”
- Any interested party, whether or not a party to the proceedings, may apply to the Court to vary or discharge this Order, provided that any such application is made on notice to the Claimant’s solicitor, trustee or deputy, and that 7 days’ prior notice of the intention to make such an application is given.
- Pursuant to the ‘Practice Guidance: Publication of Privacy and Anonymity Orders’ issued by the Master of the Rolls dated 16 April 2019 a copy of this Order shall be published on the Judicial Website of the High Court of Justice (www.judiciary.uk). For that purpose, a court officer will send a copy of the order by email to the Judicial Office at judicialwebupdates@judiciary.uk.
- The costs of obtaining this order be costs in the case.