Robin Crispin Odey -v- The Financial Times Limited

High CourtKing's Bench DivisionMedia and Communications ListOrder

Claim No. KB-2024-001562

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
KING’S BENCH DIVISION
MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS LIST

5 March 2026

Before:

John Cavanagh

Between:

Robin Crispin Odey

-v-

The Financial Times Limited

Order

UPON paragraph 3 of the Order of Mrs Justice Heather Williams in these proceedings dated 31 July 2025 (the “Order”) ordering a joint trial (the “Joint Trial”) of certain issues in these proceedings (the “Libel Claim”) together with the personal injury claims KB-2023-003397 (JFM v Odey), KB-2024-001151 (MAM v Odey), KB-2024-001164 (Jae-Ann Maher v Odey and Odey Asset Management LLP), KB 2024-001194 (JAS v Odey), and KB-2024-001198 (MJJ v Odey) (the “PI Claims”).

AND UPON paragraph 21 of the Order ordering a joint Case Management Conference (the “Joint CMC”) in the Libel Claim and the PI Claims to consider matters including the structure of the Joint Trial, which party has responsibility for trial bundles and whether to order costs budgeting in the Libel Claim.

AND UPON the Defence referring to individuals who are pseudonymised and whose true identities are contained in the Confidential Schedule to the Defence (the “Relevant Individuals”)

AND UPON paragraphs 1-5 of the Order of Mrs Justice Jennifer Eady dated 12 March 2025 ordering restrictions in respect of the information in the Confidential Schedule to the Defence and the Confidential Annex to the First Witness Statement of Alex Wilson until the CCMC with liberty for the parties to apply for the Order to be extended at the CCMC.

AND UPON the application of the Defendant dated 19 February 2026 to extend paragraphs 1-5 of the Order of Mrs Justice Jennifer Eady dated 12 March 2025.

AND UPON the court listing the Joint CMC for a one-day hearing on 25 February 2026.

AND UPON the court listing a Pre-Trial Review hearing for 2 June 2026 (the “PTR“)

AND UPON hearing Leading Counsel for the Claimant and Odey Asset Management LLP, Leading Counsel for the Defendant and Leading Counsel for the Claimants in the PI Claims at the CMC on 25 February 2026.

AND UPON the Court handing down a reserved judgment by email on 27 February 2026

AND UPON it appearing that the derogations from open justice which are contained in this Order are strictly necessary to secure the proper administration of justice and/or to protect the interests of the Relevant Individuals and that there is no sufficient countervailing public interest in disclosure.

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 (i) 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:

Extension of Order of Mrs Justice Jennifer Eady dated 12 March 2025

  1. The orders in paragraphs 1-5 of the Order of Mrs Justice Jennifer Eady dated 12 March 2025 are extended until the PTR and apply also to the Confidential Schedule to the Reply and any other documents in the Libel Claim or the PI Claims containing information which is likely to lead to the identification of the Relevant Individuals:
    a) The Confidential Schedule to the Defence, the Confidential Annex and Confidential Exhibit to the First Witness Statement of Alex Wilson, the Confidential Schedule to the Reply, and any other documents in the Libel Claim or in the PI Claims containing information which is likely to lead to the identification of the Relevant Individuals (the “Confidential Documents”) shall be kept confidential by the Court, unless otherwise ordered, and shall be marked “confidential” on the CE-File.
    b) The Confidential Documents shall only be used by the parties for the purpose of the Libel Claim and the PI Claims.
    c) A person who is not a party to the Libel Claim or the PI Claims (a “Non-Party”), may not obtain from the Court record a copy of any of the Confidential Documents without the permission of the court. No non-party may, without the Court’s permission, obtain a copy of any of the Confidential Documents unless the document has been redacted or amended to remove information which is likely to lead to the identification of the Relevant Individuals.
    d) Any Non-Party wishing to obtain a copy of any of the Confidential Documents from the court file must make an application using form N244. Any such application must be made with 5 clear days’ notice to the parties.
    e) In the “OPEN” part of any statement of case, skeleton argument or any other document produced for the purposes of the Libel Claim or the PI Claims and filed with the Court the Relevant Individuals must be identified only by the pseudonym given in the Defence and Confidential Schedule to the Defence or the pseudonyms given in Orders made in the PI Claims. Information which is likely to lead to the identification of the Relevant Individuals must be redacted from the “OPEN” part of the document or be clearly marked “confidential” or included within a bundle marked “confidential” for any hearing so as to identify it as a “Confidential Document” for the purpose of this Order.
    f) The parties be permitted to use the real names of the Relevant Individuals in witness statements and exhibits thereto, but such documents must be clearly marked “confidential” or included within a bundle marked “confidential” for any hearing so as to identify it as a “Confidential Document” for the purpose of this Order.
    g) There shall be withheld from the public in these proceedings and there shall not be published or otherwise disclosed in any report of these proceedings or other publication the names or addresses of the Relevant Individuals or other immediate members of the Relevant Individuals’ families, or any other details (including names, addresses, or a specific combination of facts) that could lead to the subsequent identification of the Relevant Individuals. There shall be no publication or other disclosure of any other name, address or information tending to identify the Relevant Individuals. The Relevant Individuals shall be referred to in any judgment or report of these proceedings, or other publication (by whatever medium) in relation thereto by the pseudonym given in the Defence and Confidential Schedule to the Defence or the pseudonyms given in Orders made in the PI Claims.
    h) There shall be withheld from the public in these proceedings and there shall not be published or otherwise disclosed in any report of these proceedings or other publication the address of Jae-Ann Maher or the address of other immediate members of her family.
    i) The reporting restrictions in paragraphs (g) and (h) above do not apply to any publications lawfully made before the date of this Order.
    j) The Court file shall be clearly marked with the words “A non disclosure order was made in this case on 5 March 2026 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.”
    k) The orders in paragraph (a) to (h) above shall be in place until the PTR with liberty to the parties to apply for the order to be extended at the PTR.
    l) 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 parties.
    m) 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
    n) Costs in the case.