PQR -v- Eastbourne College and other (anonymity order)

High CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Claim number: QB-2021-000141

In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division

17 July 2023

Before:
Mr Justice Ritchie

Between:
PQR
-v-
Eastbourne College (Incorporated) and Andrew Boxer

Order

Before the Honourable Mr Justice Ritchie sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice, the Strand, London, WC2A 2LL on 17TH JULY 2023, the first day of trial.

AND UPON HEARING leading counsel for the Claimant and leading counsel for the 1st Defendant.

UPON CONSIDERING an application for anonymity by the Claimant on 17th July 2023 and the trial bundles for trial.

AND UPON:
(a) consideration of the Claimant’s Article 8 right to respect for private and family life and the Article 10 right to freedom of expression;
(b) the 1st Defendant indicating their neutrality to the making of the order and there being no representations from any other interested party;
(c) and the 2nd Defendant not attending;
(d) the press making no representations to the contrary.

AND UPON IT APPEARING that non-disclosure of the identity of the Claimant is necessary in order to protect the interests of the Claimant.

AND PURSUANT to rule 39.2(4) of the Civil Procedure Rules and section II of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and rules 5.4C and 5.4D of the Civil Procedure Rules.

NOW IT IS ORDERED THAT:
Identity and address

  1. The identity of the Claimant shall not be disclosed.
  2. Reporting restrictions apply as to the disclosing of any information that may lead to the subsequent identification of the Claimant. The publication of the name and address of the Claimant or of any member of the Claimant’s immediate family is prohibited.

Documents filed in future

  1. The name of Claimant shall be described in all statements of case and other documents to be filed or served in the proceedings in future and in any judgment or order in the proceedings and in any report of the proceedings by the press or otherwise as “PQR”.
  2. The address of the Claimant shall be stated in all statements of case and other documents to be filed or served in the proceedings as the address of the Claimant’s solicitors.

Court files

  1. In so far as is or may in future become necessary, any statement of case or other document disclosing the Claimant’s name or address already filed in the proceedings shall be redacted or replaced by a document describing such name or address in anonymised form as above.
  2. The Court File (whether on paper or digital) shall be marked:

“This file is subject to an Anonymity Order. All documents containing the name or personal details of the Claimant are confidential and are not to be disclosed without the permission of a Master or High Court Judge”.

  1. That a non-party may not inspect or obtain a copy of any document on or from the Court’s paper or digital files (other than this order duly anonymised as directed) without the permission of a Master or District Judge. Any application for such permission must be made on 14 days notice to the Claimant’s solicitor or deputy and the Court will effect service.

Procedure

  1. That the Claimant shall by 20th July 2023 draw and file this Order and serve the same on the 2nd Defendant. Service on the 1st Defendant is dispensed with.
  2. The 2nd Defendant may apply under rule 23.10 to have this Order set aside or varied.
  3. Any non-party affected by this Order may apply on notice to all parties to have this Order set aside or varied.