Guernsey Court of Appeal Reinforces Rigorous Approach to Privacy Orders

The Guernsey Court of Appeal has reaffirmed the principle of open justice, emphasizing the high threshold required for granting privacy orders in legal proceedings.

Case Overview

In the matter of the ABC Trust [2026] GCA 008, the Court addressed an appeal concerning whether proceedings related to a Guernsey trust should be conducted in private or with reporting restrictions.

The Court denied the application for full privacy orders, determining that anonymization measures were sufficient to protect the parties' identities. This decision underscores that privacy orders will only be granted when strictly necessary in the interests of justice.

Implications for Legal Proceedings

This ruling reinforces the judiciary's commitment to transparency and the open justice principle, indicating that privacy in court proceedings is an exception rather than the norm.

Conclusion

The Guernsey Court of Appeal's decision highlights the stringent criteria for privacy orders, balancing individual privacy concerns with the public's right to open justice.