Prince Harry and six other high-profile figures are set to learn how many millions of pounds they must pay towards legal costs after losing their privacy lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail.
The Duke of Sussex, Sir Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Baroness Doreen Lawrence were among those who sued Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over allegations of unlawful information-gathering. The group strongly denied the claims, which were heard at a trial in London earlier this year. Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed all the cases in a judgment on July 7.
Interim payment request
The cases returned to the High Court for a two-day hearing over costs, where the court was told ANL's total costs were more than £34 million. The group, which also publishes the Mail On Sunday, asked for more than £9.9 million as an interim payment ahead of future hearings to decide its legal costs in depth.
Mr Justice Nicklin is now due to give his decision on the size of an initial payment the group will make to ANL, as well as how the full costs will be assessed. The judgment comes after it was made public on Wednesday that Harry and his wife the Duchess of Sussex are moving back to the UK.
Return to the UK
The couple decamped to California more than six years ago amid the Megxit crisis but now will relocate back from the US to the UK later this month to live in a non-royal residence outside London.
Lawyers for the group of household names, also including David Furnish, Sadie Frost, and Sir Simon Hughes, said the interim payment should be just over £7.9 million.
Costs assessment
Mr Justice Nicklin previously said the claimants would need to pay the interim payment on August 28, adding: “They are going to be paying a sum of money that I will confirm in the judgment.”
During the hearing, ANL said the group of household names should pay the total costs on an indemnity rather than a standard basis, which would be more favourable to the publisher in terms of the amount it can recover.
However, Nicholas Bacon KC, for the group, said in written submissions that it could be “very significant” if the group of seven had to pay ANL's costs on this stricter basis and could lead to them being without enough insurance cover. Mr Justice Nicklin's written judgment is expected at 2pm.
