Prince Harry to find out result of phone-hacking lawsuit against UK publisher By Reuters

© Reuters. Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex walks outdoors the Rolls Constructing of the Excessive Court docket in London, Britain June 6, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Picture

By Michael Holden and Sam Tobin

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Prince Harry will study on Friday whether or not he has received his lawsuit in opposition to a newspaper writer over allegations of phone-hacking and different illegal acts, the most important ruling thus far in his authorized warfare in opposition to the British tabloid press.

The prince – who grew to become the primary senior British royal for 130 years to offer proof in courtroom when he appeared because the star witness on the trial in June – is suing MGN, the writer of the Every day Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday Folks.

Harry and about 100 different claimants – which embrace actors, sports activities stars, celebrities and individuals who merely had a connection to high-profile figures – are taking authorized motion over allegations of phone-hacking and illegal information-gathering between 1991 and 2011.

They are saying senior editors and executives at MGN knew about and authorised of the wrongdoing. MGN, owned by Attain, says their accusations aren’t supported by the proof.

Choose Timothy Fancourt will ship his ruling at London’s Excessive Court docket at 1030 GMT.

Harry, King Charles’ youthful son and the fifth in line to the throne, was chosen as certainly one of 4 take a look at circumstances for the trial. Over two days of giving proof, he mentioned he was focused by MGN for 15 years beginning in 1996, and is looking for damages of about 440,000 kilos ($550,000).

“I’d really feel some injustice,” he mentioned when requested how he would really feel if the courtroom concluded he had not been a sufferer of phone-hacking.

Whereas the writer admitted that Harry had on one event been the sufferer of illegal information-gathering, to which it mentioned he was entitled to not more than 500 kilos in damages, its lawyer mentioned there was no proof that the prince’s telephone had been hacked in any respect.

Since stepping down from royal duties in 2020 and transferring to California along with his American spouse Meghan, the Duke of Sussex has made it his mission to rid the British press of these he accuses of being “criminals masquerading as journalists”, particularly senior executives and editors.

Thus far he has had blended fortunes.

He received the precise to take to trial the same phone-hacking case in opposition to Related Newspapers, the writer of the Every day Mail and Mail on Sunday, which he has introduced with high-profile figures together with singer Elton John.

However earlier this week, he misplaced a bid to win a libel declare in opposition to the identical writer with out the necessity for a trial, at a value in authorized charges of a minimum of 50,000 kilos.

His allegations of illegal behaviour by Information Corp (NASDAQ:)’s Information Group Newspapers, the writer of the Solar, will even go to trial, however the decide rejected his bid to have claims of phone-hacking thought of.