Settlement-agreement redaction is the removal of personal data from terms that may reach the court. Some settlement material must never reach the trial judge at all: CPR 36.16(2) says the fact of a Part 36 offer and its terms are not to be communicated to the trial judge until the case is decided. anonym.plus marks each identifier on your device.
When this applies
The agreement names the parties, their payment accounts, and the sums. Two routes take it to court. A settlement for a child or protected party is not valid without the court's approval under CPR 21.10(1). Otherwise the terms are often kept out of the public order by using the Tomlin form recognised in CPR PD 40B, where the agreement sits in a schedule.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the agreement in anonym.plus on your device.
- The tool flags party names, accounts, and birth dates.
- Local OCR reads a scanned signature page.
- Keep the operative terms and sums you must disclose.
- Swap or black out the confirmed identifiers.
- Save the clean copy locally.
What you need to provide
- The agreement (PDF, DOCX, or scan).
- An operator (Replace keeps the terms readable).
- Optional name map for parties across linked papers.
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | Claimant Quinn → [PARTY] |
| Financial | UK_BANK_NUMBER | payment acct → [ACCOUNT] |
| Identifiers | UK_NINO | QQ 50 31 22 C → [NINO] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | DOB 1977 → [DOB] |
| Contact | PHONE_NUMBER | +44 117 496 0221 → [PHONE] |
| Location | LOCATION | party address → [ADDRESS] |
Compliance achieved
- Respects CPR 36.16(2): the fact and terms of a Part 36 offer are not communicated to the trial judge until the case has been decided.
- Prepares the papers for the court approval a child or protected party's settlement needs under CPR 21.10(1).
- Works with the Tomlin form recognised in CPR PD 40B, where the agreed wording sits in a schedule rather than in the public order.
- Keeps without-prejudice negotiations out of the open material, in line with Rush & Tompkins Ltd v Greater London Council [1989] AC 1280.
- Anticipates that a judgment or order made in public is obtainable by a non-party under CPR 5.4C(1).
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Limitations & cautions
Confidentiality clauses, sealing orders, and CPR 21.10(1) approval each go further than a redaction pass. The tool removes identifiers; it does not decide what a clause or an order requires. Check them with counsel.
Frequently asked questions
Why keep settlement terms away from the trial judge?
CPR 36.16(2) provides that the fact a Part 36 offer was made, and its terms, must not be communicated to the trial judge until the case has been decided. Clean copies reduce the risk of that material travelling in an exhibit by accident.
What changes when a child is involved?
CPR 21.10(1) means a settlement of a claim by or on behalf of a child or protected party is not valid without the court's approval, so the terms go before a judge. Redact the surrounding identifiers, and read them with CPR 39.2(4) anonymity in mind.
Are confidential terms uploaded anywhere?
No. The app is fully offline, so the document stays on your device while you prepare the version that is filed.