Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's legal action against Thames Valley Police could cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, according to legal experts, as the former prince challenges the lawfulness of search warrants issued before his arrest earlier this year.
Background of the Case
The former Duke of York was arrested on his 66th birthday in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, following allegations that he shared sensitive information with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein during his time as the UK's trade envoy. He was interviewed under caution and released under investigation after being held in custody for 11 hours.
Andrew, who was stripped of his titles and moved to the Sandringham estate over his connections to Epstein, has now asked a judge to determine whether the force's action was lawful. This marks the first public pushback from the King's brother.
Legal Expert Opinions
Nick Vamos, a criminal lawyer at Peters & Peters and former head of special crime at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Even if Andrew succeeds in having the search warrants quashed, that would not necessarily be the victory it might first appear."
"The High Court can quash search warrants on various grounds, most commonly where the police misled, or failed to provide all relevant evidence to, the Court that issued them," Vamos explained, but added that if the police lost on a technical error, they could be allowed to keep what they obtained during the search. "The police can apply back to the Crown Court to retain the material if they have grounds to immediately seize it again."
Andrew Gilmore, Partner at Grosvenor Law, said Mountbatten-Windsor's lawyers will need to show a "defect in the procedure", with the judge scrutinising "the police warrant application and the legality of what took place under it".
Potential Costs and Next Steps
The case is likely to take months and rack up a hefty legal bill. Matthew Kain, CEO of costs law firm Kain Knight, said: "Given the high-profile nature, I would not be surprised if costs were in the hundreds of thousands."
"It's clearly an important point for both Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the police, and I'd expect both sets of legal teams to be sufficiently armed with leading silks and juniors."
Thames Valley Police said in a statement on Monday: "Whilst our investigation into misconduct in public office continues, we are engaged in legal proceedings in relation to warrants previously obtained from the Central Criminal Court. As these legal proceedings are currently ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further." Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing regarding his links to Epstein.
