CE-File submission redaction is the removal of personal data before a document is lodged electronically. CPR 5.5 allows a practice direction to provide for filing by electronic means, and CPR PD 51O is the Electronic Working scheme behind CE-File. anonym.plus marks each identifier on your device, so the filer, not the public, controls the data.
When this applies
Electronic filing puts the submission on the court record in seconds. Undoing that is slow. The court can order that a non-party obtain a statement of case only in edited form, but you must ask for that by application notice, and the notice has to be filed and served. Clean the document before it is lodged.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the document in anonym.plus on your device.
- The tool flags NI numbers, account numbers, and birth dates.
- Local OCR reads scanned exhibits before upload.
- Confirm the flags and keep the case heading.
- Swap or black out the confirmed identifiers.
- Save the clean version, then lodge it.
What you need to provide
- The document to lodge (PDF, DOCX, scan).
- An operator: Replace, Redact, or Mask.
- Optional batch for a multi-exhibit upload.
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | UK_NINO | QQ 12 34 56 C → [NINO] |
| Financial | UK_BANK_NUMBER | acct 4412 → [ACCOUNT] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | DOB 1979 → [DOB] |
| Minor | PERSON | child A.M. → [MINOR] |
| Names | PERSON | party named → [PARTY] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | party@example.com → [EMAIL] |
Compliance achieved
- Cleans the submission before it is lodged under the Electronic Working scheme in CPR PD 51O.
- Fits the electronic filing route CPR 5.5 allows a practice direction to provide for.
- Reduces the need for an order that a copy be supplied in edited form under CPR 5.4C(4)(c).
- Saves the application CPR 5.4C(5) and CPR 23.3 would otherwise require once the document is on the record.
- Catches identifiers in scanned exhibits via local OCR, before anything is uploaded.
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Limitations & cautions
Once a document is on the court record, changing it needs an application and a court order, not a delete button. The tool flags named items, so review free-text clues yourself before you lodge.
Frequently asked questions
Why redact before, not after, lodging on CE-File?
Because the document joins the court record. Fixing it afterwards means an application notice, filed under Part 23, and an order from the court. Cleaning it on your device first avoids that cost.
Which rules govern electronic filing?
CPR 5.5 allows a practice direction to provide for documents to be filed by electronic means, and CPR PD 51O sets out the Electronic Working scheme that CE-File runs under.
Is the draft sent to any server before I lodge it?
No. The app is fully offline. You control when the clean copy goes to CE-File.