The High Court in London has begun hearings on the issue of legal costs in the lawsuit brought by Prince Harry and six other prominent figures against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail. The hearing, which began on Wednesday, will continue for two days, after which the court will determine each party’s share of responsibility for covering the legal costs of the case.
Prince Harry, the son of the King of the United Kingdom, is among the claimants in the case, along with individuals including British singer Elton John, House of Lords member Doreen Lawrence, and British actress Elizabeth Hurley. They had accused Associated Newspapers of using unlawful methods, including phone hacking, to obtain access to their private information.
Earlier this month, a High Court judge in London dismissed the claim in its entirety. The ruling stated that the claimants had failed to prove that the published information about them was obtained through illegal means, and that mere suspicion was insufficient to support such allegations.
Associated Newspapers described the ruling as a “decisive victory” for journalism and press freedom. In response, Prince Harry issued a statement calling the judgment “a complete and blatant cover-up” and expressed his disagreement with the outcome of the case.
Anthony White, the lawyer representing the Daily Mail publisher, asked the court to order the claimants to pay the full legal costs of the proceedings. He said the company’s legal expenses have so far reached approximately £34 million, while the claimants’ insurance covers only £16 million of that amount.
The publisher’s lawyer also argued that the claimants had made broad allegations against the company without sufficient evidence, which had significantly increased the costs of the litigation. He further criticized Prince Harry’s statement following the court’s decision, claiming that the Duke had used his status and public profile in connection with the case.
Associated Newspapers has asked the court to require the claimants to make an initial interim payment of £10 million toward the legal costs. In response, Nicholas Bacon, the claimants’ lawyer, described the publisher’s claimed figure of £34 million as “extremely high,” saying it was far beyond the agreed budget for the case and could not be covered by his clients’ insurance.
Bacon also said reports had emerged suggesting that the Daily Mail publisher intended to pressure the claimants by seeking full reimbursement of legal costs. He said the claimants had proposed paying £8 million as an interim payment to the court by 28 August.
The claimants’ lawyers also confirmed that an appeal against the court’s ruling has been postponed until the court reaches a decision on the issue of legal costs. Following the conclusion of the two-day hearing, the court is expected to decide the amount of legal costs to be paid and determine the next steps in the proceedings.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
