TBW -v- Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (anonymity order)

County CourtAnonymity Order

Claim number: N02CL246

In the County Court at Central London

15 July 2026

Before:

Her Honour Judge Bloom

Between:

TBW
(Claimant)

-v-

Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
(Defendant)

Order

Before Her Honour Judge Bloom sitting at the County Court at Central London, Thomas More Building, Royal Courts Of Justice, Strand, London, WC2A 2LL.

UPON APPLICATION by the Claimant by Application Notice dated 22 January 2026 seeking anonymity for the Claimant in proceedings issued on the same date.

AND UPON READING the Witness Statement of Sophie Naftalin dated 22 January 2026 in support of the
Anonymity Application.

AND UPON reading the submissions dated 22 January 2026 appended to the Anonymity Application.

AND UPON
(a) Consideration of the Article 8 ECHR rights of the Claimant to respect for private and family life, and the Article 10 ECHR right to freedom of expression.
(b) It appearing that non-disclosure of the identity of the Claimant is necessary to secure the proper administration of justice and in order to protect the interests of the Claimant and that there is no sufficient countervailing public interest in disclosure.
(c) ‘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.

IT IS ORDERED THAT:

Anonymity

  1. Pursuant to section 6 HRA and CPR 39.2 the Judge, being satisfied that it is strictly necessary, ordered that:
    (a) the Claimant’s name is to be withheld from the public and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in open court;
    (b) There shall not be disclosed in any report of these proceedings or other publication the name or address of the Claimant 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 Claimant in these proceedings.
    (c) The Claimant is permitted to amend the claim form for issue of these proceedings, naming the Claimant as “TBW” and giving an address c/o the Claimant’s solicitors;
    (d) There to be substituted for all purposes in these proceedings in place of references to the Claimant by name, and whether orally or in writing, references to the letters “TBW”;
    (e) The Claimant’s name on CE-File will be anonymised in accordance with this paragraph.
    (f) That so far as the Claim Form, or any Judgment, Order or other document to which anyone might have access pursuant to Rule 5.4 at any time does not comply with paragraphs 1(a) – 1(d) above, the Claimants’ solicitors have leave to file with the Court, copies of such document adjusted so as to comply therewith; such copies are to be treated for all purposes as being in substitution for the relevant originals; and the originals are then to be retained by the Court in a sealed envelope marked “not to be opened without the leave of a Judge or Master of the King’s Bench Division”;

    Reporting restriction
  2. Pursuant to s.11 Contempt of Court Act 1981, there shall 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, provided that nothing in this Order shall prevent the publication, disclosure or communication of any information which is contained in this Order.

    Restrictions on access to documents on the court file
  3. Upon the Judge being satisfied that it is strictly necessary:
    (a) Without further order of the Court, a non-party may not obtain access to or copies of any confidential schedules to any (i) statements of case; (ii) witness statements; (iii) applications; (iv) Orders; and/or skeleton arguments (“the Restricted Documents”) from the Court file.
    (b) Any non-party wishing to obtain access to or copies of the Restricted Documents, must make an application to the Court, such application to be made by Application Notice served on the parties at least 24 hours before the Application is made.

    Publication of the order
  4. Pursuant to CPR 39.2(5) a copy of this Order will be published on the Judiciary Website.

    Service of this Order on the Defendant
  5. Within 7 days of the application, the Claimant must serve on the Defendant a copy of this Order and a copy of the Application Notice and evidence in support.

    Application to vary/discharge by the Defendant
  6. The Defendant may apply to discharge or vary this Order by Application within 14 days of the date of service of this Order.

    Costs  
  7. Costs of the application are to be in the case.

Dated 7 July 2026