The Duke of Sussex, Sir Elton John, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence have had their claims against the Daily Mail's publisher dismissed by a High Court judge. The group of seven high-profile individuals alleged unlawful information gathering, including voicemail interception, landline tapping, and obtaining information by deception, known as 'blagging', carried out by private investigators, freelance journalists, and staff at Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL).
ANL strongly denied the claims and argued that the cases had been brought too late. In a decision on Tuesday, Judge Mr Justice Nicklin ruled that none of the claimants had proven the allegations. In his 436-page ruling, he stated: 'For the reasons given in this judgment, each of the claimants’ claims is dismissed.'
ANL's Response and Victory
Following the judgment, ANL described the ruling as an 'overwhelming victory' and a 'magnificent vindication of the Daily Mail’s journalism'. The trial, which lasted 11 weeks earlier this year, heard evidence from dozens of witnesses, including Prince Harry, who gave evidence in January.
During cross-examination, Harry claimed he could not complain about some of the 14 articles in his case at the time 'because of the institution I was in'. He also stated in his written evidence that 'knowingly false' information was added to stories to 'put me off the scent' and conceal unlawful methods.
Defence and Timing Issues
ANL's defence argued that Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday journalists relied on legitimate sourcing, including friends, social circles, press officers, and freelance journalists. The trial also examined whether the claims were brought within the six-year legal limit for unlawful information-gathering cases.
The Duke of Sussex returned to the UK on Monday evening ahead of five days of appearances, including marking the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games. His spokesman expressed disappointment that an offer to stay at Buckingham Palace was 'withdrawn at the last moment', with the looming judgment cited as the reason. Harry is said to have acted in good faith and had private conversations with his father, King Charles III.
