Child-identity redaction is the removal of a child's full name from a court filing where the court has anonymised a party. CPR 39.2(4) says the court must order non-disclosure of a person's identity if, and only if, it considers that necessary to secure the proper administration of justice and to protect that person's interests. anonym.plus applies the order consistently across the papers.
When this applies
A child is named across pleadings, exhibits, and school or medical records. The trail is wider than the name: CPR 21.1(2)(b) defines a child as a person under 18, and CPR 21.2(2) means a child brings a claim through a litigation friend, whose own name can point straight back. Hearings are public by default under CPR 39.2(1), so the order does the protecting.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the papers in anonym.plus on your device.
- The tool flags the child everywhere they appear.
- Local OCR reads scanned school or medical pages.
- Apply Replace to swap each mention for the short form.
- Confirm no full identity remains in any exhibit.
- Save the clean papers locally.
What you need to provide
- The filing and exhibits (PDF, DOCX, scan).
- The Replace operator set to use initials.
- Optional label map so one person maps to one set of initials.
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | PERSON | Anna Mercer → A.M. |
| Minor | PERSON | scan: pupil → initials |
| Names | PERSON | litigation friend → [LITIGATION_FRIEND] |
| Location | LOCATION | school address → [SCHOOL] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | child's DOB → [DOB] |
| Identifiers | UK_NINO | school record → [NINO] |
Compliance achieved
- Carries out an anonymity order made under CPR 39.2(4), where non-disclosure is necessary to secure the proper administration of justice.
- Also flags the litigation friend a child acts through under CPR 21.2(2), a common route back to the child's identity.
- Uses the age test in CPR 21.1(2)(b), a person under 18, to scope who the protection covers.
- Reflects that publishing information about private proceedings relating to children can be a contempt under s.12 Administration of Justice Act 1960.
- Follows UK GDPR Recital 38, which says a child's personal data merits specific protection.
Anonymise filings naming a child offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
Only the court makes an anonymity order under CPR 39.2(4); the tool applies one. A child can still be identified through a litigation friend, a school, or a unique fact, so review related details as well as the name.
Frequently asked questions
What may stay of a child's identity under an anonymity order?
Usually the initials alone. CPR 39.2(4) requires the court to order non-disclosure only where that is necessary to secure the proper administration of justice and to protect the person. anonym.plus swaps every full mention for the short form in one pass.
Should I also redact the litigation friend?
Often yes. Under CPR 21.2(2) a child acts through a litigation friend, and that name plus a school can re-identify the child. The tool flags both so you can decide.
Does the tool create the anonymity order?
No. The order is the court's to make, and hearings are public by default under CPR 39.2(1). anonym.plus applies an order that already exists, consistently and on your own device.