QR and another -v- Lancashire County Council (anonymity order)

County CourtAnonymity Order

Claim number: M00PR961

In the County Court at Preston

23 October 2025

Before:

District Judge Burrow

Between:

(1) QR (L/F Louise Anderson of LCC)
(2) ST (L/F Louise Anderson of LCC)
(Claimants)

-v-

Lancashire County Council
(Defendant)

Order for anonymity

Before District Judge Burrow sitting at the County Court at Preston, Openshaw Place, Ringway, Preston, PR1 2LL

Upon hearing the Solicitor for the 1st and 2nd Claimants

AND UPON considering the Application Notice dated 8 September 2025 and:
(1) Considering the Article 8 rights of the 1st and 2nd Claimants to respect for private and family life, and the Article 10 right to freedom of expression.
(2) It appearing that non-disclosure of the identity of the 1st and 2nd Claimants is necessary to secure the proper administration of justice and in order to protect the interests of the 1st and 2nd Claimants and that there is no sufficient countervailing public interest in disclosure.
(3) The Defendant indicating its neutrality to the making of the order and there being no representations from the press or any other interested party.

AND PURSUANT to section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998; section 11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981; and CPR rules 5.4C, 5.4D and 39.2(4).

WHEREAS for the purposes of this order:
(1) ‘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.
(2) Publication for the purpose of this Order includes any further publication (as defined in subparagraph (1)
above) from the date of this Order, even if such information has derived from a previous stage or stages of these proceedings.

IT IS ORDERED THAT:

  1. The identity of the 1st and 2nd Claimants as a parties to these proceedings is confidential and shall not be published.
  2. Pursuant to CPR Rule 39.2(4), there shall not be disclosed in any report of these proceedings or other publication the name or address of the 1st and 2nd Claimants 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 the 1st and 2nd Claimants in these proceedings. The 1st and 2nd Claimants shall be referred to as set out at paragraph 3 of this Order.
  3. In any judgment or report of these proceedings, or other publication (by whatever medium) in relation thereto:
    (i) The 1st Claimant shall be referred to as “QR”.
    (ii) The 2nd Claimant shall be referred as to “ST”
    (iii) Any other details which, on their own or together with other information publicly available, may lead to the identification of the 1st and 2nd Claimants (including any names of other immediate family members or their addresses) shall be redacted before publication.
  4. Pursuant to CPR Rules 5.4C and 5.4D:
    (i) 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 (ii) above.
    (ii) If a person who is not a party to the proceedings applies pursuant to CPR r.5.4C 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 1st and 2nd Claimant’s solicitor and the 1st and 2nd Claimant’s litigation friend in these proceedings,
  5. The 1st and 2nd Claimant’s solicitor shall file with the Court an electronic (PDF) bundle of the statements of case that has been anonymised in accordance with paragraph 3 above by 6 November 2025 and re-filed in the event that any statement of case is amended, within 21 days of such amendment being approved.
  6. The Court file shall be clearly marked with the words “An anonymity order was made in this case on 16 October 2025 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.”
  7. 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 7 days’ notice to the 1st and 2nd Claimant’s solicitor and the 1st and 2nd Claimant’s litigation friend in these proceedings.
  8. 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.
  9. The costs of obtaining this order be costs in the case.

DATED 16 October 2025