XQS -v- Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (anonymity order)

High CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Claim number: KB-2023-003805

In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division

15 June 2026

Before:

Mr Aidan Eardley KC,
sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge

Between:

XQS
(A child by his mother and Litigation Friend, YQS)
(Claimant)

-v-

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
(Defendant)

Anonymity order

BEFORE Mr Aidan Eardley KC sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London on 15 June 2026

UPON HEARING Julian Matthews Counsel on behalf of the Claimant and Paul Rees KC Leading Counsel on behalf of the Defendant in person.

UPON reading the Claimant’s application and the documents submitted herewith

AND UPON the Claimant’s Application Notice dated 19 May 2026

AND UPON 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 UPON the Court considering that there should be both a withholding order in respect of non-disclosure of the Claimant and litigation friend’s identity, and a reporting restriction order

UPON CONSIDERING the protective nature of the approval jurisdiction pursuant to r.21.10 of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998

AND UPON CONSIDERING the Article 8 rights of the Claimant to respect for private and family life and the risk of harm that identification may cause to the Claimant, and the Article 10 right to freedom of expression

UPON THE COURT CONCLUDING that non-disclosure of the Claimant identity is necessary to secure the proper administration of justice, in order to protect the Claimant’s interests and that there is no sufficient countervailing public interest in disclosure

AND UPON THE COURT FURTHER CONCLUDING that it is necessary to make a reporting restriction order

AND PURSUANT to section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998, CPR rules 5.4C, 5.4D and 39.2(4), the Children and Young Persons Act, the inherent jurisdiction of the Court, section 37 of the Senior Courts Act 1981, and section 11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981

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:

  1. The identity of the Claimant and the Litigation Friend are to be confidential and withheld in the statements of case, orders in this claim, any judgments or report of these proceedings, or other publication (by whatever medium) and shall not be published and for those purposes:

(i) The Claimant shall be referred to as XQS

(ii) The Litigation Friend shall be referred to as YQS

(iii) Any other details which, on their own or together with other information publicly available, may lead to the identification of the Claimant (including any names of other immediate family members or their addresses) shall be redacted before publication.

  1. The Claimant’s address on the claim form and any other statements of case shall be substituted by the Claimant’s solicitor’s address.
  2. No report, whether oral or in writing, or other communication in whatever form (including internet or social media) addressed to the public at large or any section of the public, of or concerning this claim which is published from the date of this order may include:

(a) The name or address or workplace of the Claimant;

(b) The name or address of the Litigation Friend;

(c) Any particulars likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant or Litigation Friend;

(d) Any image or likeness of the Claimant or Litigation Friend.

  1. Any reports or other communications to the public which exist prior to the date of this order are not affected by this order.
  2. 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 1, 2 and 3 above.

(ii) If a person who is not a party to the proceedings applies (pursuant to CPR r.5.4C(2)) 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 Claimant’s solicitor, trustee or deputy unless the court orders otherwise.

  1. 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 Claimant, the Claimant’s Litigation Friend 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. The Claimant and the Litigation Friend shall be referred to as set out at paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Order.
  2. The Claimant’s solicitor shall file with the Court an electronic (PDF) bundle of the statements of case that has been anonymised in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2 above by 21 days from date of the order, and re-filed in the event that any statement of case is amended, within 21 days of such amendment being approved.
  3. The Court file shall be clearly marked with the words “An anonymity Order was made in this case on 15th June 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.”.
  4. 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 Claimant’s solicitor, trustee or deputy.
  5. This order shall lapse automatically on the death of the Claimant and its provisions shall have no effect from that time.
  6. Pursuant to CPR 39.2(5) and 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.
  7. The costs of obtaining this Order be costs in the case.

Dated this 15th day of June 2026