High-Profile Legal Battle Commences as Prince Harry and Celebrities Sue Daily Mail Publisher
The High Court in London is set to witness a landmark legal confrontation as the Duke of Sussex and several other prominent figures initiate proceedings against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail. The nine-week trial, commencing on Monday, centres on allegations of unlawful information gathering practices that have sent shockwaves through media and legal circles.
The Claimants: A Coalition of Prominent Figures
The legal action brings together an extraordinary coalition of claimants from diverse backgrounds, united in their pursuit of accountability. Alongside Prince Harry, the group includes music legend Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence, former Liberal Democrat MP Sir Simon Hughes, and actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley.
Their collective claim alleges that ANL engaged in or commissioned a range of unlawful activities, including hiring private investigators to place listening devices in vehicles, "blagging" private records through deception, and accessing confidential telephone conversations without authorisation. The publisher has vehemently denied these allegations, describing them as "preposterous" while preparing for what promises to be a fiercely contested legal battle.
Prince Harry's Media Reform Crusade
The Duke of Sussex, fifth in line to the throne, has emerged as a particularly vocal advocate for media reform in recent years. Having stepped back from senior royal duties in early 2020 before relocating to North America with his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, Harry has demonstrated remarkable persistence in pursuing legal action against media organisations.
This represents the third major legal challenge initiated by the Duke against newspaper publishers. Previous actions targeted News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, and Mirror Group Newspapers, which publishes The Mirror. In June 2023, Harry made history by becoming the first senior royal in over two decades to give evidence personally in court proceedings during his claim against MGN.
The legal landscape has already yielded significant outcomes for the Duke. In December of that year, Mr Justice Fancourt ruled that phone hacking had become "widespread and habitual" at MGN titles during the late 1990s, finding that Harry's phone had been hacked "to a modest extent." This resulted in an award of £140,600 in damages after the court determined that fifteen articles about the Duke derived from unlawful information gathering.
Further success came in January last year when Harry settled his claim against NGN on what would have been the second day of trial, with the publisher issuing an apology and agreeing to pay substantial damages. Former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson, who was also suing NGN, praised Harry's determination, stating: "I once said that the big beasts of the tabloid jungle have no predators. I was wrong, they have Prince Harry."
Baroness Doreen Lawrence's Pursuit of Justice
Baroness Doreen Lawrence brings a particularly poignant perspective to the legal action, having dedicated decades to campaigning for justice following the racist murder of her son Stephen in 1993. The aspiring architect was stabbed to death by a group of white youths at a bus stop in Eltham, southeast London, in an attack that shocked the nation and exposed institutional failings.
Ironically, the Daily Mail itself played a significant role in campaigning for justice in Stephen Lawrence's case. Under then-editor Paul Dacre, the newspaper famously labelled five suspects as "murderers" on its front page in February 1997, challenging them to sue for libel. Two of those men, Gary Dobson and David Norris, were eventually convicted of involvement in the attack in January 2012 and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The court has heard that Lady Lawrence was "alerted" to the possibility of legal action against ANL through a text message from Prince Harry. In written submissions, Catrin Evans KC for ANL noted that "litigation appears to have been contemplated by Baroness Lawrence almost immediately after the text was received by her." Speaking to the BBC last September, Lady Lawrence expressed "disbelief" at receiving contact from Harry, remarking: "It just floors you, because you don't expect that, but not somebody like me anyway."
Celebrity Claimants with Previous Legal Experience
The remaining claimants bring considerable experience of media legal battles to the proceedings. Sir Elton John, knighted for services to music and charity in 1998, joins the action alongside his husband David Furnish, with whom he entered a civil partnership in 2005 before marrying in December 2014 following the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the UK.
Sir Simon Hughes, former Liberal Democrat MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, brings legal expertise as a qualified barrister alongside personal experience of media litigation, having accepted "substantial" damages from NGN in 2021 for misuse of private information and breach of confidence.
Actress and model Elizabeth Hurley has previously settled phone-hacking claims against both NGN and MGN, with the latter admitting that "certain articles" she complained about derived from illegal activity. Similarly, actress and film producer Sadie Frost was awarded a record £260,250 in damages over phone hacking by MGN in 2015, in a case that marked the first trial to take place during years of phone-hacking litigation.
Trial Proceedings and Judicial Rulings
The trial is expected to follow a structured format over its nine-week duration, beginning with opening statements from both sides before each claimant presents their case with supporting witnesses. Prince Harry is scheduled to give evidence on Thursday, while Sir Elton John and David Furnish are expected to provide testimony remotely. ANL's legal team will call their own witnesses, including former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre.
Several significant judicial rulings have already shaped the proceedings. In November 2023, Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed ANL's attempt to have the claims thrown out without trial, delivering a 95-page judgment stating that the publisher had "not been able to deliver a 'knockout blow' to the claims of any of these claimants." However, the judge did rule that an allegation that ANL commissioned "burglary to order" could not proceed to trial.
The court has also navigated complex issues regarding document disclosure, particularly concerning materials from the Leveson Inquiry into press standards. Initially barred from using information drawn from ledgers provided by ANL to the inquiry, the claimants received permission from ministers in March 2024 to disclose confidential Leveson Inquiry documents relating to Daily Mail records of payments to private investigators.
As the legal battle commences, all eyes will be on the High Court where these extraordinary claims will be tested against ANL's firm denials. The outcome could have far-reaching implications for media practices, privacy rights, and the ongoing relationship between public figures and the press in the United Kingdom.
