A major legal battle is unfolding at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, where seven prominent figures, including the Duke of Sussex, are suing the publisher of the Daily Mail. The nine-week trial, which began on Monday, centres on allegations of widespread unlawful information gathering by Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL).
The Claimants and the Core Allegations
The group bringing the claim is a high-profile ensemble. Alongside Prince Harry are music icon Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence, actress Sadie Frost, actor and model Liz Hurley, and former Liberal Democrat MP Sir Simon Hughes. They allege that ANL engaged in or commissioned a range of illegal activities over many years.
The alleged unlawful acts include the hiring of private investigators to plant listening devices in cars, the practice of 'blagging' or deceitfully obtaining private records, and the interception of live landline calls and voicemail messages. The claimants also point to the accessing of confidential medical and financial information. ANL has consistently and vehemently denied all allegations, labelling them "preposterous smears".
A Chronology of the Legal Fight
The legal journey to this trial has been complex and protracted, marked by multiple preliminary hearings and significant rulings.
October 2022: Lawyers for the group first issued legal claims against ANL, stating there was "compelling and highly distressing evidence" of "abhorrent criminal activity". ANL immediately dismissed the claims as a calculated attempt to link the Mail titles to the phone-hacking scandal.
March 2023: Prince Harry, Sadie Frost, and Sir Elton John attended a hearing where ANL tried to have the cases thrown out as too late or "stale". The court heard detailed allegations, including that Sir Elton and Mr Furnish's Windsor home landline was tapped and that Baroness Lawrence's son's murder investigation was "exploited". The pivotal evidence included contradictory statements from private investigator Gavin Burrows.
November 2023: In a crucial victory for the claimants, Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed ANL's bid for summary judgment. In a 95-page ruling, he found the group had a "real prospect" of proving ANL concealed facts that delayed their claims. The judge also ruled on the use of confidential Leveson Inquiry documents, a point ANL called a "significant victory".
2024-2025 Developments: The case saw several critical developments. The government agreed to vary restrictions on Leveson Inquiry documents, allowing their use in court. Dozens of high-profile journalists were named in Prince Harry's claim. The court also heard that Baroness Lawrence was allegedly alerted to a potential claim by a text from Harry. Furthermore, a judge ordered Harry's lawyers to disclose documents related to potential payments for evidence, criticising their "inconsistent and incoherent approach".
Allegations surfaced about details of the Prince of Wales's 21st birthday party being "blagged", though a related claim about the Princess of Wales was later refused. Mr Burrows, the private investigator, later claimed his signature on a key 2021 witness statement was a "forgery".
What the Trial Will Decide
The trial, now underway, represents the culmination of years of legal preparation. It will ultimately determine whether the seven claimants can prove that ANL, through its newspapers the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday, engaged in a systematic campaign of unlawful information gathering against them.
The case strikes at the heart of press ethics and privacy rights in the UK. For the claimants, it is a quest for justice for what they describe as gross violations of their private lives. For ANL, it is a fierce defence of its reputation against allegations it considers baseless and malicious. The outcome will be closely watched across the media landscape and legal world, with potential ramifications for future privacy litigation and press regulation.
