Law & Justice

Prince Harry and Others Plan Appeal After High Court Dismisses Privacy Claims

By Today News Hours Editorial Desk

Prince Harry, Sir Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, David Furnish, Sadie Frost and Baroness Lawrence have filed applications with the Court of Appeal to challenge a High Court ruling that dismissed their privacy claims against Associated Newspapers Limited, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. The claimants, who lost a July case in which they failed to prove unlawful information gathering, face joint legal costs of up to £34.5 million. Judge Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed all allegations after an 11‑week trial in London, describing the judgement as an “overwhelming victory for the Daily Mail and its journalists.” Prince Harry testified that 14 articles about him proved journalists were listening to phone calls, but the judge found he had not proven this. The spokesperson for the claimants said the appeal concerns both the dismissal of their claims and a subsequent indemnity costs order. In August, Mr Justice Nicklin ruled that the claimants should pay far more than the costs agreed before the trial, ordering an initial payment of £9.54 million while the final amount was calculated. The spokesperson’s statement did not mention Liberal Democrat politician Sir Simon Hughes, who was part of the action. Hughes told the BBC he was disappointed by the costs ruling and would consider whether to appeal the substantive and costs judgments. During the trial, Mail and Mail on Sunday journalists and executives denied accusations of illegal activity, and the publisher’s lawyers presented a “compelling account of a pattern of legitimate sourcing of articles,” citing information from friends and “leaky” social circles. In civil cases, the losing party must reimburse the other side’s reasonable legal fees and settle its own costs.}