My business is your business: the Court of Appeal's decision in <it>MN v OP</it>

This article considers the decision of the Court of Appeal in England in MN v OP [2019] EWCA Civ 679 on the circumstances in which an anonymity order will be made in connection with an application under the Variation of Trusts Act 1958. It looks at the legal framework for the decision, in particular the basis for the contention that an analogy should be drawn with proceedings under Rule 21.10 of the Civil Procedure Rules, with the result that anonymity orders should be the norm. It then sets out the conclusion and reasoning of the Court of Appeal and provides some commentary on the possible ramifications of the decision for practitioners in England and other jurisdictions.