A court record release is the version of a filing a non-party may obtain under CPR 5.4C. Before access, you hide protected identifiers such as a National Insurance number, a child's name, a bank account number, and a full date of birth, in line with the DPA 2018. Where the filing touches proceedings about a child, s.12 of the Administration of Justice Act 1960 separately makes it a contempt of court to publish information from those proceedings in a way that identifies the child, on top of the ordinary identifier redaction. anonym.plus marks them on your own device.
When this applies
A filing goes to the public file. It still shows a National Insurance number, a child's name, and a bank account number that should be hidden before access.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the filing in anonym.plus on your device.
- The tool flags NINOs, account numbers, dates, and children's names.
- Mask the National Insurance number to its last characters.
- Black out the account number and the child's name.
- Cut the date of birth to the year, then review.
- Save the public version on your machine.
What you need to provide
- The filing (PDF, DOCX, or scan).
- An operator: Mask for the NINO, Redact for the rest.
- Optional rules to keep the claim and case numbers.
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | UK_NINO | QQ 12 34 56 C → [NINO ***56C] |
| Identifiers | NATIONAL_ID | taxpayer ref → [TIN ***] |
| Names | PERSON | child's name → [CHILD] |
| Accounts | UK_BANK | account no. → [ACCOUNT] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | DOB 04/12/1971 → [YEAR 1971] |
| Contact | PHONE_NUMBER | home phone → [PHONE] |
Compliance achieved
- Hides protected identifiers consistent with CPR 5.4C & DPA 2018.
- Flags a child's name for the extra weight s.12, Administration of Justice Act 1960 gives it, separate from the general identifier rules.
- Masks the National Insurance number to its last characters.
- Offline work keeps the filing off any server.
- Mask, Redact, and Replace operators fit each field.
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Limitations & cautions
CPR 5.4C and any court order govern what a non-party may see, and the court may restrict more. Where a child is involved, s.12 of the 1960 Act can make identifying publication a contempt regardless of what CPR 5.4C alone would allow. The tool flags these and 340+ other types; deciding what else to hide is your legal call.
Frequently asked questions
Which identifiers should I hide before non-party access?
Typically a National Insurance or taxpayer reference, a child's name where restricted, a financial account number, and a full date of birth (the year may stay). A child's identity needs particular care given the separate contempt risk below.
Why does a child's name need special treatment?
Section 12 of the Administration of Justice Act 1960 makes it a contempt of court to publish information relating to certain proceedings — including many family and wardship matters — in a way that identifies a child involved in them. That risk exists on top of, not instead of, the ordinary CPR 5.4C and DPA 2018 identifier rules.
Can I keep the last characters of a NINO?
Yes. Use the Mask operator to keep the trailing characters while it hides the leading ones, where your court permits.
Does it run without internet?
Yes. The app is fully offline, so a filing never leaves your machine during the redaction, which matters for filings under a reporting restriction.