Lepani Secake & Ors v Shared Services Connected Ltd

Lepani Secake & Ors v Shared Services Connected Ltd

The application for a class-based anonymity order failed because the Claimants did not provide clear and cogent evidence of necessity for each individual or identified sub-group. Generalised assertions about risk, the nature of the data breach, or the Claimants' roles were insufficient to justify derogation from open justice. The principle of open justice prevails unless specific, evidenced risks are demonstrated for particular Claimants.

Parties
Claimant: Lepani Secake; Claimants: Claimants listed in Schedule 1 to the Claim Form (2-2502); Defendant: Shared Services Connected Ltd
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
30 April 2026
Procedural Posture
Civil Data Protection / Interlocutory Application for Anonymity Order
Outcome
Application dismissed with costs
Legal Topics
Anonymity Orders, Open Justice, GDPR, Data Breach, Civil Litigation Procedure
Data Protection Civil Procedure Privacy Anonymity Orders Open Justice GDPR Data Breach Civil Litigation Procedure

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Parties

Lepani Secake

Claimant

Claimants listed in Schedule 1 to the Claim Form (2-2502)

Claimants

Shared Services Connected Ltd

Defendant

Procedural Posture

Civil Data Protection / Interlocutory Application for Anonymity Order

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether the Claimants are entitled to a class-based anonymity order in a data breach claim
  2. 2 Whether the evidence provided meets the threshold for derogation from open justice

Ratio Decidendi

The application for a class-based anonymity order failed because the Claimants did not provide clear and cogent evidence of necessity for each individual or identified sub-group. Generalised assertions about risk, the nature of the data breach, or the Claimants' roles were insufficient to justify derogation from open justice. The principle of open justice prevails unless specific, evidenced risks are demonstrated for particular Claimants.

Court Disposition

Application dismissed with costs

Orders

  • Application for anonymity order dismissed
  • Costs summarily assessed and awarded to the Defendant