Order against unnamed members

Huntingdon Life Sciences Group plc and others v (1) Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (2) London Animal Action QBD TLR 2 November

The claimant had brought an action against SHAC and LAA for harassment and had obtained various orders, including for costs, against the defendants. Both SHAC and LAA were unincorporated associations at the relevant time and when the claimant discovered the whereabouts of LAA’s bank account, they obtained third-party debt orders against the bankers. Both defendants appealed on the ground that it was not appropriate or lawful to enforce a costs order against an unincorporated association and that such an application could only be made against named individual members.