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Prince Harry and others launch appeal after losing Daily Mail phone-hacking claim
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
Prince Harry and five co-claimants have applied to the Court of Appeal for permission to challenge the dismissal of their claims against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers. They say the judge’s decisions were legally and factually flawed, and are also challenging an order requiring them to contribute to the publisher’s costs.
The claimants are Harry, Doreen Lawrence, Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost. After an 11-week trial, Mr Justice Nicklin ruled in July that they had not proved information was obtained unlawfully, noting that stories could have come through legitimate sources. They had alleged practices including voicemail interception, landline tapping and deception; the publisher said its reporting relied on lawful sources. The group faces a potential legal bill exceeding £50m and was ordered in August to pay £9,544,355 as an initial contribution.
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In short
- Harry and five others have applied to appeal the ruling.
- The judge found they had not proved unlawful information gathering.
- The claimants face a potential legal bill above £50m.
How this story developed
- 16 minutes ago Prince Harry and five other high-profile claimants have applied for permission to appeal after losing their case against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers. They alleged that journalists used unlawful methods to obtain stories; the judge found they had not proved that information was obtained illegally.
- 18 minutes ago Prince Harry and five co-claimants have applied to the Court of Appeal for permission to challenge the dismissal of their claims against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers.
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The case for
The claimants can argue that the trial judge misapplied the law or assessed the evidence incorrectly, and that an appeal is needed to test those alleged errors fairly. Given the seriousness of the alleged privacy intrusions and the scale of the costs order, appellate review could clarify whether the dismissal and financial consequences were justified.
The case against
Associated Newspapers can argue that the claims were examined at an 11-week trial and the judge found the evidence did not prove unlawful information gathering, with legitimate sources offering an alternative explanation for the stories. It can also maintain that the costs order reflects the expense of defending the case and that the claimants should meet an appropriate share unless an appeal establishes a legal or factual error.
Explained simply
Phone hacking is the unauthorised access to someone’s voicemail messages. It became a major issue in Britain after investigations found that some newspapers had used unlawful methods to obtain information. People can also challenge publishers over other alleged ways of gathering private information, such as tapping phones or deception.
The case involved six claimants: Prince Harry, Doreen Lawrence, Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost. They alleged that Associated Newspapers, which publishes the Daily Mail, used unlawful methods to obtain information about them. The publisher said its reporting was based on lawful sources.
The dispute matters because it concerns how newspapers gather information and the limits of privacy. The trial lasted 11 weeks, and the judge found the claimants had not proved their allegations. The case also carries substantial costs, with the group facing a potential legal bill of more than £50 million.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Prince Harry and others launch appeal after losing Daily Mail phone-hacking claim”.