Why it matters in the Letby case
Compliance with reporting restrictions matters for any reader, journalist or commentator. Naming a protected family is unlawful even where the name has leaked online.
Media explainer
Reporting restrictions — plain-English explainer
Reporting restrictions in criminal cases protect the identities of children and other vulnerable parties. In the Letby case, lifelong anonymity orders cover every family; babies are referred to by court-assigned letters (Child A–Q).
Legal explanation1Court/official
Last updated
Prosecution position
Restrictions during live proceedings serve a legitimate purpose: protecting the fairness of the trial and the anonymity of the families and children involved.
Expert challenge / post-conviction reading
They also had a second-order effect. They shaped what the British public could read during the windows in which the evidence was being most actively contested, which is why some international reporting circulated in the UK only after the proceedings closed.
What remains uncertain
The lifelong anonymity orders covering the families are not time-limited and are not affected by anything the CCRC or the Court of Appeal may do. Naming a protected family remains unlawful even where a name has leaked online.
Caution: This site uses court-approved initials only. Do not attempt to identify protected families from any material on this site.
Common questions
Why are the babies called Child A to Child Q?
The court assigned letters to protect the children's and families' identities. Lifelong anonymity orders cover every family in the case.
Can I name a family if the name is already circulating online?
No. A leak does not lift an anonymity order. Naming a protected family is unlawful regardless of what has appeared elsewhere.
Do the restrictions end when the case ends?
The anonymity orders are lifelong and are not affected by the outcome of any appeal or CCRC review.
Did restrictions affect what the public could read?
Yes, as a second-order effect. They shaped what was publishable in the UK during the periods when the evidence was most contested.
What does this site do about it?
It uses the court-assigned letters throughout and follows the families-and-witnesses sensitivity policy linked from every relevant page.
Related reading
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