The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and another -v- Beko Poland Manufacturing and others (privacy order)

High CourtKing's Bench DivisionPrivacy Order

Claim numbers: QB-2020-004516
KB-2024-003250
KB-2024-003251
KB-2024-003253
KB-2024-003255
KB-2025-000483

In the Grenfell Tower Litigation
In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division

28 April 2026

Before:

The Honourable Mrs Justice Jefford DBE
and
Senior Master Cook

Between:

(1) The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
(2) The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation Limited
(Claimants)

-v-

Beko Poland Manufacturing sp. zo.o
and 14 others
(Defendants)

and

Exova UK Limited
and others
(Part 20 Defendants)

Privacy order

UPON:

(1) The Claimants identifying that there are individuals:

(a) Who (on the Claimants’ case) received benefits in kind and/or monetary benefits and/or other direct or indirect assistance as a consequence of the Fire whose personal information appears within the Schedule of Loss and/or supporting Appendices and/or documents provided by the Claimants in support of their claims within the Grenfell Tower Litigation (the “Proceedings”); and

(b) In respect of whom non-disclosure of certain information is necessary to secure the proper administration of justice and in order to protect the Article 8 rights to respect for private and family life.

(2) There being no sufficient countervailing public interest in disclosure under the Article 10 right to freedom of expression.

(3) The Defendants and Part 20 Defendants indicating their consent to the making of the order.

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

WHEREAS for the purposes of this order:

(1) “Confidential Cipher” means a confidential list agreed between the Parties or approved by the Court from time to time, in which the names of Protected Individuals are ascribed non-identifying codes or numbers.

(2) “Protected Individual” means an individual whose name appears on the Protected Individuals List.

(3) The “Protected Individuals List” shall be a maintained list of individuals that the Claimants consider should each have protection as a Protected Individual under this Order as a person who received benefits in kind and/or monetary benefits and/or other direct or indirect assistance as a consequence of the Fire.

(4) “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 after the date of this Order. For the avoidance of doubt, the following do not constitute the public at large or any section of the public for the purposes of this Order:
(a) The Court and the Court’s staff;
(b) A party to any of the actions listed in the heading to this Order (including any claim brought pursuant to CPR Part 20) (each a “Party”, and together the “Parties”);
(c) The insurer, reinsurer or insurance broker (“Insurer”) of such a Party, and/or the Insurer’s legal representatives, provided that the Publication of Protected Information to and/or within any such Insurer is reasonably necessary for the purposes of the Proceedings and/or for compliance with any regulatory or legal obligation to which any such Insurer (or the Party which has the benefit of cover from such Insurer) is subject;
(d) A Party’s “Advisers” comprising legal representatives (including in-house counsel, solicitors and barristers) and professional advisers (including expert witnesses and advisers, accountants, and auditors) of such a Party and any person instructed or supervised by a Party or Adviser to support their work in these Proceedings;
(e) A Party’s “Affiliate”, meaning, in relation to a Party, any entity controlled, directly or indirectly by that Party, any entity that controls, directly or indirectly, that Party, or any entity directly or indirectly under common control with that Party.  For this purpose, “control” of any entity includes, but is not limited to, control of a majority of the voting power in respect of the entity or ownership of a majority of the shares in the entity;
(f) An employee, officer, partner or member of any Party (or Party’s Affiliate), Insurer, or Adviser, provided that the Publication of Protected Information to any such person is reasonably necessary for the purposes of the Proceedings and/or for compliance with any regulatory or legal obligation to which any such Party, Insurer, Affiliate or Adviser may be subject;
(g) Mediator(s) and/or any dispute resolution professionals appointed by the Parties

(5) For the avoidance of doubt retention of the Relevant Disclosed Documents and Relevant Documents for the purposes of their functions and obligations in relation to the Proceedings (and any regulatory or legal obligations) does not without more constitute Publication.

(6) Any Publication which exists prior to the date of this Order (including but not limited to information put into the public domain by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry) is not affected by this Order.

(7) “Protected Information” in relation to each of the Protected Individuals means:

(a) Name, when used in conjunction with any of the information listed in (7)(b) to (7)(f) below:

(b) Information relating to a Protected Individual’s:

  • age;
  • disability;
  • gender reassignment;
  • marriage or civil partnership (not to include Pronouns such as: Mr, Mrs, Miss);
  • pregnancy or maternity;
  • sex (not to include Pronouns such as: Mr, Mrs, Miss);
  • race;
  • religion or belief; or
  • sexual orientation.

    (c) Information pertaining to any medical condition and any prescribed treatment (whether relating to past or present conditions and any prognosis);
    (d) The amount of payments made to, or for the benefit of, a specific Protected Individual;
    (e) Contact information including the Protected Individual’s current and previous address(es), email address(es) and/or telephone number(s); and
    (f) Personal financial information such as bank/building society account details.

    (8) “Relevant Document” means any:

    (a) Skeleton argument, note, report, or document provided to the Court;
    (b) Judgment or Order of the Court;
    (c) Report of these Proceedings; or
    (d) Other publication:

that contains or refers to Protected Information.

(9) “Relevant Disclosed Document” means any document which:
(a) Has been disclosed by a Party pursuant to CPR Part 31 at any stage of these Proceedings; and
(b) Contains or refers to Protected Information;  

but for the avoidance of doubt does not include any document in the public domain or in the possession of the Parties through means outside of these Proceedings even if such documents are copies of documents received in these Proceedings pursuant to CPR Part 31.

AND BY CONSENT

IT IS ORDERED THAT:

  1. Protected Information in respect of each of the Protected Individuals:
    (a) Shall not be the subject of Publication save to the extent permitted in sub-paragraph (b) below;
    (b) May be referred to in a Relevant Document only if it is presented either in such a way as reasonably prevents the Protected Information being publicly related to a particular Protected Individual, or through the use of a Confidential Cipher.
  2. In relation to the Protected Individuals List, the Claimants shall:
    (a) By 4pm on 15 May 2026:
    (i) prepare and serve upon all parties to the Proceedings a preliminary version of the Protected Individuals List, listing all individuals whose names were redacted in the Claimants’ quantum disclosure provided by the Claimants on 27 February 2026 (the “February Disclosure”);
    (b) By 4pm on 29 May 2026:
    (i) serve replacement versions of all documents that were redacted for privacy reasons in the February Disclosure, with redactions for privacy removed; and
    (c) By 4pm on 30 November 2026 prepare and serve upon all parties to the Proceedings an updated version of the Protected Individuals List, in light of the Claimants having given extended disclosure in accordance with paragraph 5.8(b) of the Order of Mrs Justice Jefford dated 11 December 2025.
  3. The Claimants may update the Protected Individuals List from time to time, to add or remove individuals from the Protected Individuals List. Upon doing so, the Claimants shall serve the updated list upon all Parties to the Proceedings.
  4. Use of a Confidential Cipher shall be deemed to prevent the Protected Information being related to a particular Protected Individual.
  5. The key to any Confidential Cipher shall not be the subject of Publication.
  6. The Claimants shall, by 4pm on 1 May 2026, serve a replacement version of B.5(a) Property Acquisition Spreadsheet.xlsx with redactions for privacy removed (save for the names of Protected Individuals).
  7. The Claimants shall (when disclosing and providing for inspection any document that they or their legal representatives consider contains Protected Information) mark the document with a header or document reference that makes it clear on the face of the document that it contains Protected Information.
  8. Pursuant to CPR Rule 31.22(2), a Party to whom a Relevant Disclosed Document has been disclosed may use that document only for the purpose of the Proceedings (including in relation to any mediation or other alternative dispute resolution process undertaken for the purpose of attempting to resolve the Proceedings or any part of the Proceedings), notwithstanding the fact that the document has been read to or by the court or referred to at a hearing which has been held in public.
  9. Nothing in this Order shall prevent Publication of Protected Information in response to the lawful request of a regulator of any entity identified in Recital (4), or in response to the lawful request of a court of competent jurisdiction.
  10. Pursuant to CPR Rules 5.4C and 5.4D:
    (a) A person who is not a party to the Proceedings may not obtain a copy of a statement of case, any Relevant Document or (if provided to the Court) Relevant Disclosed Document unless the statement of case, Relevant Document or Relevant Disclosed Document first complies with such of the provisions of paragraphs 1 to 5 above as may apply;
    (b) If a person who is not a party to the Proceedings applies (pursuant to CPR r.5.4C(1B) or (2)) for permission to inspect or obtain a copy of any other document or communication, such application shall be on at least 14 days’ notice to the solicitors representing the Claimants, Defendants and Part 20 Defendants, respectively.
  11. The Court file shall be clearly marked with the words “A Privacy Order relating to the personal information of third parties was made in this case on [DATE] 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.”
  12. Any interested party, whether or not a Party to the Proceedings, may apply to the Court (a) to vary or discharge this Order and/or (b) to direct that any person should or should not be identified as a Protected Individual and/or (c) to direct that any information should or should not be designated as Protected Information, provided that any such application is made on 14 days’ notice to the solicitors representing the Claimants’, Defendants and Part 20 Defendants, respectively.
  13. 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.
  14. The costs of and relating to the drafting of this Order shall be costs in the case and/or the Part 20 Proceedings.