London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Prince Harry will continue his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN) over claims of illegal activities by journalists and private investigations, even as many other claimants have settled, his lawyer stated on Friday.Â
Prince Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles, is taking legal action against News Group Newspapers, the publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, claiming that the NGN illegally acquired private details about him between 1996 and 2011.
In court, Prince Harry‘s lawyer David Sherborne revealed that the Duke is one of only two remaining claimants against Rupert Mudroch’s NGN, with former Labour deputy leader TOm Waston also pursuing claims. Since the last hearing in July, 39 cases have been settled.Â
The trial of two cases is expected to start next January.
Harry claims he was targeted by journalists and private investigations employed by News Group Newspapers (NGN), including those working for The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World. NGN denies any unlawful conduct at The Sun.
Sherborne told Mr Justice Fancourt, “The Duke of Sussex is one of two claimants whose claims are still live in this matter. The reduction of the live claims to just two is a pretty recent development”.
Lord Watson was present at the hearing, Prince Harry did not attend.
The Duke’s legal team is seeking access to “highly relevant emails” exchanged between five members of the household staff and top NGN executives, including Rebekah Brooks, Robert Thomson, and Mike Darcey, as well as former royal staff like Sir Christopher Geidt, Sir Edward Young, and Sally Osman.
The judge granted limited access to the emails requested by the duke could be disclosed, stating that while there was a “degree of speculation whether any of the documents sought are going to assist the claimant’s case” there was “sufficient justification” for some of the emails to be granted.
The spokesperson from the NGN said, “In 2011 an apology was published by NGN to victims of voicemail interception by the News of the World. The company publicly committed to paying financial compensation and since then has paid settlements to those with proper claims.
“In some disputed cases, it has made commercial sense to come to a settlement agreement before trial to bring a resolution to the matter. As we reach the tail end of the litigation, NGN is drawing a line under the disputed matters”.
“The civil proceedings have been running for more than a decade and deal with events 13-28 years ago. It is common practice, and indeed encouraged in litigation, to seek to settle claims outside court where both parties agree without the cost of a trial”.
During a hearing last year, Harry’s legal team stated that the late Queen Elizabeth was aware of NGN’s surveillance of her family and friends and had directed her staff to address the issue.
The Prince’s legal team also said his brother Prince William settled a case against NGN, the British newspaper arm of News Corp, in 2020.
On Friday’s hearing, Sherborne quoted a 2018 email, in which a lawyer told Harry, “The ball is with Murdoch” in response to his request for progress.
He told the judge, “Emails between NGN and the palace would be highly relevant in terms of providing the full picture not only as to the actual knowledge of the claimant but also as to the position in relation to constructive knowledge, based on what the palace was being told by NGN”.
Anthony Hudson KC, for NGN, said it was “clearly a speculative fishing exercise” and any emails had to be viewed in the context of 2005, when allegations were made against News of the World culminating in its royal editor and a private investigator being convicted of phone hacking.
When judge asked for the further emails, Hudson told, “The documents sought are not relevant to the pleaded issues in the Duke of Sussex’s case, are not necessary to ensure a fair trial will take place and are not likely to make a real difference to the prospect of settlement of the claim; and, moreover, the proposed searches would be disproportionate and would not save costs”.
Fancourt also cited documents recently filed by Harry’s legal team, stating that Harry plans to argue at trial that his father “acted to discourage and stymie him” from taking legal action against NGN.