Transparency: Court rules that junior officials’ names should not be redacted from public legal challenges


Judge sides with human rights charity and instructs government that identities of civil servants outside the SCS should be protected ‘only where it is necessary for good and sufficient reason’

The names of government officials below the ranks of the senior civil service should not be routinely redacted from documents, the High Court has ruled.

In the case, R (IAB & others) v the home secretary and levelling up secretary, an ongoing judicial review which relates to asylum seeker housing, the government sought to routinely redact any names outside the senior civil service from  proceedings documents. Legal reform charity Justice intervened in the case and made submissions to oppose the government’s contention that the names of junior officials should, as a matter of course, be redacted from documents disclosed during judicial reviews – a core legal mechanism through which people can challenge government decisions, including those made via algorithms or automated decision-making process.

The High Court ruled against the government in the case on Friday. The judge ruled: “Names of civil servants should not routinely be redacted from disclosable documents; redaction should take place only where it is necessary for good and sufficient reason.”

The government had argued that the names of civil servants at grades below the senior civil service should be removed because they have a “reasonable expectation of confidentiality” by virtue of being civil servants. It said redactions of the names of junior civil servants “encourages open conversation within government” and officials “conduct their work on the understanding and expectation that their names will not enter the public domain where this is not necessary”.

The government also argued that if junior civil servants fear their names will be disclosed in legal cases, it could have a “chilling effect” on government as officials “might be hesitant to express concerns or provide candid advice, which could hinder effective decision-making, or may widely discourage participation in public service”.

The judge said they did not consider the expectation of confidentiality to be “reasonable”, adding: “When at work, civil servants are not involved in anything that can be described as a private activity, they are exercising public functions as part of the public service of the country”.

They also pointed out that the label “junior civil servants” includes civil servants with “significant responsibilities”.


Related content


“The distinction between “junior” and “senior” civil servants is akin to the distinction between junior and leading counsel and is not necessarily any indication of age or experience,” they added.

The government had also argued that if civil servants become associated with contentious decisions they could become “targets of unwarranted personal blame and through that, harassment, threats, or retaliation”. It presented two examples: A GLD solicitor who received abuse from the public after his “correspondence” was published; and a Home Office official who, after acting as an advocate for the Home Office in Upper Tribunal proceedings, received “abusive communications” from the other party to the appeal.

But the judge said they did not find the examples “compelling”, adding “in fact, they come nowhere close”.

“The two examples in the evidence do not suggest any widespread problem, and there are no examples in the evidence to suggest that any practical problems have arisen because of the disclosed documents in this case,” they said. They also said any risk could be remedied by removing email addresses and phone numbers from documents before they are disclosed.

“The general approach to the conduct of litigation cannot be dictated by fear of the baser instincts of a misguided few,” they added. 

Justice called the decision a “win for transparency”.

Fiona Rutherford, the charity’s chief executive, said, “For democracy to work, we must be able to check and understand government decision-making – today’s judgment safeguards the fairness and transparency of this process.”

Judicial review is one of the central ways people can challenge government decisions.

In its submission to the court ahead of the decision, Justice argued that “names matter; they often help the court grasp how policies and decisions were made, and can be key to properly understanding a document”.

It said the work of all civil servants is “manifestly public, not private”, opposing the government’s argument that junior civil servants had a “reasonable expectation of confidentiality” in their work and could bypass the usual rules for requesting anonymity.

DLUHC and the Home Office had not responded to a request for a comment at the time of publication.

Tevye Markson

Learn More →

54 thoughts on “Transparency: Court rules that junior officials’ names should not be redacted from public legal challenges

  1. 송도콜걸출장섹스마사지 November 25, 2024 at 11:50 am

    벼룩시장 신문그대로보기 (구인구직, 부동산) 벼룩시장 신문그대로보기 바로가기 그리고 지역별 벼룩시장 종이신문그대로보기 방법 (구인구직, 부동산) 알아볼게요. 교차로신문 같이 벼룩시장은 지역별 일자리, 구인구직, 부동산 등 다양한 정보를 제공해요. 교차로신문그대로보기 바로가기는 아래에서 확인하고, 오늘은 벼룩시장 신문그대로보기 바로가기 그리고 사용법 섹스카지노사이트

  2. 춘천콜걸출장섹스마사지 November 27, 2024 at 12:04 am

    강남안마시술소중계업체

  3. 강남출장섹스마사지 November 27, 2024 at 8:56 pm

    강남콜걸

  4. 전주콜걸출장섹스마사지 November 28, 2024 at 10:08 pm

    강남안마시술소중계업체

  5. 춘천콜걸출장섹스마사지 November 29, 2024 at 4:57 am

    수원출장샵

  6. 송도출장섹스마사지 December 1, 2024 at 7:48 am

    https://pornmaster.fun/hd/mallu-reshama-nude-sexolder-rollin

  7. 청송콜걸출장섹스마사지 December 1, 2024 at 10:09 pm

    https://pornmaster.fun/hd/hansika-tinman-xossip-xxx-com-pu

  8. 강릉콜걸출장섹스마사지 December 3, 2024 at 5:01 am

    https://pws1999.tistory.com/134

  9. 통도사출장섹스마사지 December 3, 2024 at 8:42 pm

    https://mrdeeply.tistory.com/134

  10. 통도사콜걸출장섹스마사지 December 4, 2024 at 5:32 am

    이태원게이바

  11. 강남출장섹스마사지 December 4, 2024 at 8:26 pm

    https://itlearn.kr/

  12. 서동탄출장섹스마사지 December 6, 2024 at 9:37 am

    벼룩시장 구인구직 및 신문 그대로 보기 (PC/모바일) | 구인구직 앱 어플 무료 설치 다운로드 | 모바일 벼룩시장 보는 방법 | 벼룩시장 부동산 | 지역별 벼룩시장 | 벼룩시장 종이신문 에 대해 알아보겠습니다. 섹스카지노사이트

  13. 춘천출장섹스마사지 December 6, 2024 at 7:24 pm

    이태원스웨디시안마게이클럽

  14. 신림동콜걸출장섹스마사지 December 7, 2024 at 9:04 pm

    아름다운스웨디시업소

  15. indicac~ao da binance December 8, 2024 at 4:16 pm

    I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.

  16. 이태원콜걸출장섹스마사지 December 10, 2024 at 11:29 pm

    https://itlearn.kr/파워포인트-무료설치-다운로드-방법/

  17. 마천출장섹스마사지 December 12, 2024 at 10:28 pm

    https://honeytiplabs.com/유튜브-화질-고정/

  18. 수서역출장섹스마사지 December 13, 2024 at 6:32 am

    https://ajaedotcom.tistory.com/entry/일본-우편번호-검색

  19. 영등포콜걸출장섹스마사지 December 13, 2024 at 7:47 pm

    대전나이트클럽

  20. 이태원출장섹스마사지 December 15, 2024 at 12:22 am

    https://ddnews.co.kr/blog/2023/03/24/chatgpt-korean/

  21. 영등포극락출장섹스마사지 December 15, 2024 at 12:50 am

    강남안마시술소중계업체

  22. 송도건마출장섹스마사지 December 16, 2024 at 6:02 am

    https://nicesongtoyou.com/job/busan-deagu-inchon/

  23. 일산건마출장섹스마사지 December 16, 2024 at 6:47 am

    충무로출장업소

  24. 노원구건마출장섹스마사지 December 17, 2024 at 6:03 am

    영등포안마살롱

  25. 울산콜걸출장섹스마사지 December 17, 2024 at 4:13 pm

    https://sportscom.co.kr/2023-fifa-u-17/

  26. 강남비사이드출장섹스마사지 December 17, 2024 at 7:54 pm

    https://chotiple.tistory.com/tag/애니팡20맞고20설치

  27. Cruz Imbrogno December 17, 2024 at 10:20 pm

    Risk of heat-related deaths has ‘increased rapidly’ over past 20 years – Carbon Brief https://linkdirectory.at/detail/risk-of-heat-related-deaths-has-increased-rapidly-over-past-20-years-carbon-brief

  28. 부평출장섹스마사지 December 19, 2024 at 8:44 am

    http://dnolife.net/

  29. 달서구출장섹스마사지 December 19, 2024 at 9:11 am

    https://nicesongtoyou.com/job/byeolugsijang-newspaper/

  30. 성골출장섹스마사지 December 31, 2024 at 3:02 pm

    https://itmoney4you.com/미스터트롯2-전국투어콘서트티켓오픈/

  31. medartix.com January 16, 2025 at 4:00 pm

    A round of applause for your blog post.Thanks Again. Much obliged.

  32. Viagra January 18, 2025 at 6:43 am

    Porn

  33. 섹스노리야동코리아 January 19, 2025 at 11:18 am

    https://madreviewer.tistory.com/tag/파일변환

  34. bbgo January 19, 2025 at 5:20 pm

    Pornstar

  35. Viagra January 19, 2025 at 7:43 pm

    Buy Drugs

  36. 섹스노리야동코리아 January 21, 2025 at 3:28 am

    https://kemongsa.co.kr/macbook-air-m2/

  37. 섹스노리야동코리아 January 23, 2025 at 10:34 am

    https://new-software.download/windows/ldplayer/

  38. 섹스노리야동코리아 January 26, 2025 at 4:48 am

    https://kr.new-version.app/download/bandicut/

  39. Sharilyn Hinish January 26, 2025 at 3:23 pm

    You ought to experience a contest for just one of the most effective blogs on the net. I am going to suggest this blog!

  40. Charley Hutchingson January 26, 2025 at 4:10 pm

    I delight in, result in I discovered exactly what I used to be having a look for. You’ve ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye

  41. Doyle Degenhart January 26, 2025 at 6:05 pm

    Me and my good friend were arguing about an issue similar to that! These days I know that I was best. lol! Thanks for the information you post.

  42. 섹스노리야동코리아 January 27, 2025 at 3:39 am

    https://new-software.download/windows/honeyview/

  43. Brenton Sivilay January 27, 2025 at 10:19 am

    I find myself approach to your journal more and more often to the point where my visits are almost each day now!

  44. Melody Blackstock January 27, 2025 at 10:54 am

    Very efficiently written post. It will be valuable to anyone who utilizes it, including myself. Keep up the good work – can’t wait to read more posts.

  45. Bibi Murdock January 27, 2025 at 12:06 pm

    Nice blog right here! after reading, i decide to buy a sleeping bag ASAP

  46. Lynn Kundtz January 27, 2025 at 12:13 pm

    It’s perfect time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you few interesting things or suggestions. Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this article. I wish to read even more things about it!

  47. Darby Heyd January 27, 2025 at 2:31 pm

    Hello, very intriguing posting. My niece and I have been recently looking to find comprehensive facts about this sort of stuff for a while, nevertheless we couldn’t until now. Do you consider you can make several youtube video clips about this, I do think your web blog could well be more detailed in case you did. If not, oh well. I’ll be checking out on this site in the near future. E-mail me to keep me updated. granite countertops cleveland

  48. 섹스노리야동코리아 January 31, 2025 at 10:36 am

    https://bestkkultip.tistory.com/32

  49. 섹스노리야동코리아 February 1, 2025 at 5:41 am

    충무로출장업소

  50. 섹스노리야동코리아 February 6, 2025 at 7:27 am

    https://itgunza.com/3457

  51. 섹스노리야동코리아 February 6, 2025 at 8:52 am

    https://blog.naver.com/vckse2ks/223715140515

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *