Harry's Legal Feuds: A Current Overview
Prince Harry's tumultuous past with the media is well-documented, as evident in his memoirs revealing his deep-seated resentment towards tabloids. His belief that the tabloid press played a role in his mother's untimely demise is no secret.
Now, at 39, the Prince has set out to champion "responsible media" as he navigates a series of court cases in the U.K. Let's delve into the pressing issues that have him entangled in the British legal system.
Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) Case
A joint initiative by a group of notable figures, including Elton John and his partner David Furnish, Doreen Lawrence, Sadie Frost, Elizabeth Hurley, and Simon Hughes, filed a lawsuit against ANL in October 2022. ANL, responsible for publications like the Daily Mail and Mail Online, was accused of engaging in various forms of criminal activities to gather information, including installing listening devices and tapping private phone conversations, bribing corrupt police officers, and hacking bank accounts. ANL has denied any wrongdoing.
The group alleges that ANL employed private investigators to conduct illegal surveillance, installed listening devices in homes and cars, intercepted private phone conversations, paid off corrupt police officers for insider information, manipulated medical records, and hacked into bank accounts and financial transactions improperly.
Despite ANL's attempts to dismiss the lawsuit as filed too late, the U.K.'s Supreme Court ruled in November 2022 that they had failed to counter the claimant's arguments and should face trial. Judge Matthew Nicklin stated that ANL had failed to strike down the claimant's allegations.
Second Associated Newspapers Ltd. (ANL) Lawsuit
In addition to the aforementioned lawsuit, Prince Harry is taking ANL to court for defamation over a Mail on Sunday report from February 2022 that contained information about his family's security data.
In July 2022, a judge from the U.K.'s Supreme Court ruled that parts of the article were defamatory. Despite ANL's strong denial of the allegations and arguments that the article represented an "honest opinion" and caused no significant harm to Harry's reputation, Judge Nicklin refused to overturn the defamation verdict in December 2022.
He reasoned that there was a possibility that the defense could prove that the Prince's team's communications were factually incorrect and the case warranted further investigation. The trial is scheduled for 2024.
News Group Newspapers (NGN) Lawsuit
This is yet another case where progress has been made in recent months. In 2019, Harry sued NGN and accused them of unlawfully obtaining information. The lawsuit contains allegations that NGN, the British publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, intercepted Voicemail messages, resorted to deceitful methods to acquire private information, and employed private investigators to obtain information unlawfully.
Initially, NGN argued for the case to be dismissed, arguing that Harry's lawsuit was filed too late and that the claims against him were dropped due to a "secret agreement" between NGN and the Buckingham Palace. However, in July 2023, the U.K.'s Supreme Court allowed Harry's lawsuit to proceed. This trial is expected to start in early 2025.
Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) Lawsuit
Harry also initiated a legal action against the Mirror Group (MGN) in 2019. This legal proceeding, which began in May, saw a rare appearance of a high-ranking royal witness in a courtroom. Harry, along with several high-profile plaintiffs, accused MGN of phone hacking, illegal information gathering, and other unlawful practices between 1991 and 2011.
MGN denies most of the allegations and argues that some of the claims are 'time-barred' and that there is insufficient evidence to prove misconduct.
In December 2023, Harry was awarded £140,600 ($179,000 USD) in damages after the U.K.'s Supreme Court determined that he was a victim of the historic MGN phone hacking scandal. In his court judgment, Justice Timothy Fancourt noted that telephone hacking began in 1996 and became widespread between 2006 and 2011. However, he pointed out that only partial telephone surveillance had occurred in Harry's case.
He further stated that 15 stories published by MGN between 1996 and 2011 utilized methods like phone hacking, deceptive explosions, and private investigators to obtain illegal information.
Following his attorney David Sherborne's statement in a London court, Prince Harry declared the victory a significant day for truth and accountability. A Mirror Group spokesperson apologized unconditionally and confirmed their resolve to improve.
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