Prince Harry has won the final round of his phone hacking case against the publisher of The sun.
Today (19 April) it was decided that the trial would not be postponed after the publisher, News Group Newspapers, argued that the case was brought after the statutory time limit had expired.
The 39-year-old Duke of Sussex, along with other celebrities such as Hugh Grant, claim that the News Group Newspapers (NGN) publication used a range of illegal methods including phone hacking, information fraud and private investigators to obtain information.
Unless those involved, including the Duke, reach an out-of-court settlement, the entire criminal trial will take place in January 2025. The publisher maintains its position that The sun is innocent of any wrongdoing.
Judge Fancourt today dismissed the publisher’s request for an investigation into the timing of the claims in a preliminary hearing, saying there was a “clearly significant risk” that it would “increase overall costs and potentially delay a full trial by up to two years.”
The news comes after Hugh Grant reached an out-of-court settlement with the publisher “for a huge sum of money”, but admitted he would have loved to see “all the allegations they deny tested in court”.
Grant made this decision because he was unwilling to pay legal fees of up to £10 million. He explained: “The rules governing civil litigation mean that if I go to court and the court awards me damages that are even a penny less than the settlement offer, I will have to pay both sides’ legal fees.”
“My lawyers tell me that’s exactly what would most likely happen here. Rupert Murdoch’s lawyers are very expensive, so even if all the allegations are proven in court, I would still have to bear costs of close to £10 million. I’m afraid I’m shying away from that horror.”
The publisher has claimed that some of the recent allegations are historical, but admits liability for the actions of the now-defunct journalists. News from around the world.
A spokesperson for NGN said earlier this week: “In 2011, NGN unreservedly apologised to the victims of the voicemail interception by the News from around the worldSince then, NGN has been paying compensation to those who have legitimate claims.
“As we near the end of litigation, NGN is drawing a line under contentious matters, some of which date back more than 20 years. In some cases, it made commercial sense for both parties to reach a settlement prior to trial to resolve the matter.
“There are a number of controversial lawsuits still pending before the civil courts, some of which are aimed at The sun. The sun assumes no liability and does not admit to the allegations.
“A judge recently ruled that parts of Mr. Grant’s claim were time-barred, and we reached an agreement to settle the remainder of the case. This was done without an admission of guilt. It is in the financial interest of both parties not to end up in a costly trial.”
Grant took the opportunity this week to explain that it is “common practice for completely innocent people” to “pay an enormous amount of money to get a matter out of court.”
Prince Harry had previously stated that it was his “life’s work” to change the “media landscape” in Britain after the press was blamed for the persecution that led to his mother’s untimely death in 1997.
