The Tate brothers are opposing the UK’s decision to withhold the names of the plaintiffs

Andrew and Tristan Tate are seeking to challenge a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) not to withhold the identities of individuals who have made criminal complaints against the brothers in the UK.

At the Royal Court hearing, their lawyers argued that the decision to remain anonymous was wrong; “They will be treated differently from other suspects or defendants,” he said.

But a CPS lawyer said it was a “time-bound decision” to withhold identities until “the process begins in earnest” in the UK.

Andrew Tate, 39, and Tristan Tate, 37, face 21 charges in the UK, including rape and people-trafficking, after being extradited from Romania.

Bedfordshire police have obtained European arrest warrants for the pair until 2024, but they will only return to the UK once the criminal case in Romania is concluded.

The Tate brothers are seeking a judicial inquiry to overturn a decision not to name their accusers in the UK, who have denied any previous wrongdoing.

In a written submission, their lawyer Sally Bennett-Jenkins said the CPS had assumed the couple would identify complainants on social media and put them out of the process, but said this was an “exaggerated risk assessment”.

She continued: “The claimants’ controversial comments are not a valid basis for withholding basic information about the criminal charges they face.”

Bennett-Jenkins said the lack of information given to Tates limits the brothers’ ability to identify evidence in their defense or assess its reliability before any future trial.

Tom Little, representing the CPS and Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Police, told the court on Tuesday that the claimants would be given sufficient time to prepare for trial when they come to the UK.

In his written submission, he said that not disclosing the names at this stage was a time-limited decision in the UK “until the process has begun in earnest”.

He also said that the decision is “under review” and it is not authorized by the court to make a decision.

The court heard on Tuesday that the brothers, who are citizens of the United Kingdom and the United States, are currently in Romania and under Romanian judicial custody.

The court was told that they had offered to be interviewed by British authorities in Bucharest with the consent of Romanian authorities under a precautionary measure, but the CPS rejected the request.

In May 2025, prosecutors confirmed the full list of 21 charges the Tate brothers will face on their return to the UK, which were committed between 2012 and 2016.

The CPS at the time allowed the brothers to be charged in 2024, before an extradition warrant was issued for their return from Romania.

The indictment came after receiving an evidence file from Bedfordshire Police about the allegations in the UK.

Mr Justice Chamberlain is expected to rule on the Tati brothers’ application for leave for judicial review later this week.