The Claimant, who was a university lecturer, presented a claim form bringing multiple complaints of disability discrimination of various kinds in respect of various matters under the Equality Act 2010. The Claimant’s disability, which the Respondent does not dispute, can be described under the umbrella term “autism spectrum disorder” (ASD). The Claimant applied for an anonymity order, saying that he had a hidden disability which he did not wish to be disclosed and he had only disclosed it to the Respondent. The Claimant said that he believed that his employability would be destroyed without anonymity and he said that there was no public interest in his name being in the public domain. The ET refused his application and he appealed.

The EAT allowed the appeal. The ET erred in refusing an application by the claimant for an anonymity order, in particular because it erroneously made the assumption that the issuing of his claim caused the subject matter relating to his disability to pass into the public domain.