The judge overseeing the phone-hacking and privacy lawsuit brought by Prince Harry and some 100 others against British publisher Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) at London’s high court will deliver his judgment on Friday.
Prince Harry, the first senior British royal in 130 years to testify in court, is suing MGN, the publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and Sunday People.
What is Prince Harry phone-hacking case?
The lawsuit, joined by approximately 100 other claimants, including actors, sports figures, celebrities, and individuals connected to high-profile personalities, revolves around allegations of phone-hacking and unlawful information-gathering spanning from 1991 to 2011. The claimants assert that senior editors and executives at MGN were aware of and endorsed these illicit activities. In response, MGN, owned by Reach, disputes the allegations, stating that they lack evidentiary support.
Prince Harry, the younger son of King Charles, was chosen as one of the four test cases for the trial that commenced in May. In his pursuit of justice, he is seeking damages amounting to up to £320,000 ($405,000) for 33 articles scrutinized during the trial, along with an additional £120,000 for 61 instances of alleged unlawful information-gathering.
MGN has acknowledged that private investigators were directed to unlawfully collect information about three individuals, including Harry, who were part of the test cases. The publisher issued an unreserved apology and conceded that Prince Harry is entitled to £500 in compensation. However, MGN denied any further wrongdoing concerning him.
The illicit practice of phone hacking, involving the unauthorized interception of voicemails on mobile phones, gained public attention in 2006 when the then-royal editor of the News of the World (NoW) tabloid and a private investigator were arrested. Subsequently, they pleaded guilty and were incarcerated in 2007.
In 2011, additional revelations surfaced, exposing the targeting of a murdered schoolgirl, prompting Rupert Murdoch to shut down the paper and initiate a criminal trial. In 2014, Andy Coulson, the former editor of NoW who later served under Prime Minister David Cameron, was found guilty of conspiracy to hack phones and was sentenced to jail. Rebekah Brooks, leading News Corp’s UK operation, was acquitted of all charges.
Initially, the Mirror group consistently denied its journalists’ involvement in hacking, even during a public inquiry. However, in 2014, it admitted liability. Since then, MGN has resolved over 600 claims, incurring a cost of approximately £106 million in damages and costs, with £55 million reportedly going to the claimants’ lawyers.
What is meant by phone hacking?
Phone hacking involves the illegal interception of voicemails on mobile phones. The practice gained public attention in 2006 when the royal editor of the News of the World and a private investigator were arrested, eventually leading to their guilty pleas and imprisonment in 2007.
Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) Involvement
The Mirror group initially denied involvement in hacking but later admitted liability in 2014, settling over 600 claims with a cost of around £106 million in damages and costs.
Prince Harry’s testimony
Prince Harry testified that he was targeted by MGN for 15 years, resulting in more than 140 stories, with phone-hacking or other unlawful behaviour involved. He attributed the intrusion to the breakdown of his relationship with Chelsy Davy and the strain in his relationship with Prince William.
Piers Morgan’s Involvement
Witnesses, including Prince Harry, implicated Piers Morgan, former editor of the Mirror, in phone-hacking or at least being aware of it. Morgan denied involvement or knowledge and criticized Prince Harry’s stance on privacy.
Other legal actions by Prince Harry
Prince Harry is pursuing three other cases at the London High Court, including lawsuits against News Group Newspapers (NGN), which publishes the Sun, and Associated Newspapers (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, for alleged phone-hacking, illicit privacy breaches, and libel.
In summary, the passage provides an overview of the phone-hacking scandal, details of the legal proceedings involving Prince Harry and MGN, and broader implications on relationships and other legal actions involving Prince Harry.
(With inputs from Reuters)
