Prince Harry ‘delighted’ High Court privacy case can proceed
Written by worldOneFm on November 10, 2023
Prince Harry is “delighted” his privacy lawsuit against the Daily Mail’s publisher can proceed, after a U.K. High Court judge’s ruling on Friday.
The Duke of Sussex, Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, politician Simon Hughes, and anti-racism campaigner Doreen Lawrence allege Associated Newspapers has partaken in “gross breaches of privacy” by unlawfully gathering information about their lives. Their lawsuit alleges these practices included listening into and recording phone calls, bugging cars, and illicitly obtaining private financial and medical records.
Associated Newspapers denies their claims but sought to have the case dismissed, stating many claims falling outside the limitation period. However, in a High Court ruling, Mr Justice Nicklin said that the defendant had “not been able to deliver a ‘knockout blow’ to the claims of any of these claimants” and the case could proceed.
Praising the decision, Prince Harry’s lawyers said in a statement to Variety: “We are delighted with today’s decision which allows our claims over serious criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy by the Mail titles to proceed to trial.
“The High Court has dismissed ‘without difficulty’ the attempt by Associated Newspapers to throw these cases out. Indeed, the Judge found that each of our claims had a real prospect of showing there was concealment of unlawful acts by the Mail titles and that this could not have been discovered until recently. Our claims can now proceed to trial.”
In June, Prince Harry became the first senior royal to testify in 130 years when he took the witness box during his separate case against The Daily Mirror. The latest decision means the royal could find himself in court once again.
The actor Hugh Grant, the director of the press reform lobbying group Hacked Off, welcomed the decision. He told the BBC: “This ruling is a significant blow to the Daily Mail and great news for anyone who wants the truth about allegations of illegal press practices to come out.”
