Prince Harry and other prominent individuals have been ordered by London’s High Court to pay an interim sum of £9.54 million ($17.9 million Cdn) towards the legal expenses of the Daily Mail’s publisher following the dismissal of their privacy lawsuits. Judge Matthew Nicklin recently ruled against the case brought by Prince Charles’s younger son and several others, refuting claims of unlawful activities by the Mail titles, such as phone hacking.
Among the high-profile figures suing Associated Newspapers were singer Elton John and his spouse David Furnish, along with actors Sadie Frost and Elizabeth Hurley. Other claimants included former Liberal Democratic MP Simon Hughes and anti-racism activist Doreen Lawrence, who gained prominence after her son Stephen’s tragic killing in 1993.
Judge Nicklin criticized the claimants’ case, stating that serious allegations were based on speculative and inferential grounds, leading him to deem their conduct highly unreasonable. Associated Newspapers’ spokesperson hailed the ruling as a significant victory for the Mail and its journalism.
The ruling mandates the outstanding amount to be paid on an “indemnity basis,” meaning Prince Harry and the other claimants must contribute to Associated’s legal costs without the publisher having to demonstrate their reasonableness or proportionality. During a July hearing, it was disclosed that Associated had amassed legal fees of £34.5 million ($64.7 million Cdn), while Prince Harry and the other claimants were covered by an insurance policy of £16 million ($30 million Cdn).
Prince Harry’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The prince previously criticized the court’s decision this summer as a “complete and obvious whitewash.” Additionally, Prince Harry and Meghan announced their plans to relocate to the UK, where they intend to enroll their children in school after residing in British Columbia and California.
This lawsuit marks the final unresolved litigation in a series of legal battles initiated by Prince Harry against tabloid publishers for alleged unlawful practices. Previously, he was awarded £140,600 (about $240,430 Cdn) after the High Court found him to be a victim of phone-hacking and other illicit information gathering by journalists at Britain’s Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
In a separate case, the Rupert Murdoch-led News Group in the UK issued a formal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators. The court, however, dismissed an allegation suggesting a covert arrangement between Murdoch’s newspaper group and Buckingham Palace to prevent royals from pursuing legal actions.
In 2023, Prince Harry made history as the first British royal to testify at a trial in 130 years during this case. For further details, the ruling can be accessed in the document provided.
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