STS -v- Secretary of State for the Home Department (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Case number: AC-2025-LON-004323

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

In the matter of an application for judicial review

6 May 2026

Before:

Benjamin Douglas-Jones KC,
sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court

Between:

The King
on the application of
STS

-v-

Secretary of State for the Home Department

Order

UPON the Claimant lodging an application for urgent interim relief on 02 December 2025 challenging the inadmissibility decision issued against the Claimant on 25 November 2025;

AND UPON the Claimant receiving a positive reasonable grounds decision on 02 December 2025

AND UPON the Defendant deferring the removal directions set for the Claimant owing to the pending consideration of her modern slavery claim;

AND UPON the Defendant writing to the Claimant on 11 December 2025 to confirm that she would not be proceeding with inadmissibility action under either paragraph 345A-D of the Immigration Rules (as in force before 28 June 2022) or sections 80B-C of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and that if circumstances change to suggest that inadmissibility action is appropriate, she will notify the Claimant accordingly;

AND UPON the Defendant agreeing to consider the Claimant’s asylum claim substantively in the UK, subject to any change of circumstances that changes the position of pursuing inadmissibility action as above;

AND UPON the joint application of the parties for the Court to grant permission to withdraw the Claim for permission to apply for judicial review and to make an anonymity order in respect of the Claimant;

AND UPON the Court having considered the documents lodged by the parties including the draft consent order (attached to this Order as an annex):

ORDER BY BENJAMIN DOUGLAS-JONES KC,
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 STS.

(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. Withdrawal of Claim by consent: The Claimant shall have permission to withdraw the above-numbered claim for Judicial Review.
  2. Costs:

(a) The Defendant shall pay the Claimant’s reasonable costs of this Judicial Review, to be assessed if not agreed.

(b) There is to be a detailed assessment of the Claimant’s publicly funded costs in accordance with the Civil Legal Aid (Costs) Regulations 2013.

REASONS

  1. Anonymity: The Claimant is a possible credible victim of human trafficking, modern slavery or exploitation and I am satisfied that naming the Claimant will increase the risk she faces from her exploiters. There are accordingly compelling reasons for the limited derogations from the principle of open justice in paragraph 1.
  2. Withdrawal of the Claim: granting permission to withdraw the Claim is clearly appropriate given the recitals to this order. I have only not endorsed the draft consent order as drafted because of the need for an expanded paragraph concerning anonymity.

Signed: Benjamin Douglas-Jones KC
Date: 6 May 2026