- Prince Harry and six other claimants lost their privacy lawsuit against the Daily Mail publisher.
- The court ruled that the claimants failed to prove that private information was obtained unlawfully.
- Associated Newspapers is seeking an interim payment of £10 million from the claimants.
- The claimants could face a legal costs bill of up to £50 million after the court ruling.
- Associated Newspapers has accumulated legal costs of £34.5 million during the litigation.
- The judge described the size of the costs in the claims as unprecedented for a High Court media law case.
Associated Newspapers is seeking an interim payment of £10 million from Prince Harry and six other claimants, including Sir Elton John, after their privacy lawsuit was dismissed by the High Court. The court ruled that the claimants failed to prove that their private information was obtained unlawfully.1235
The legal costs for the case could exceed £50 million, with ANL's expenses already reaching £34.5 million. The claimants, who also include David Furnish, Sadie Frost, and Liz Hurley, reportedly have insurance coverage of only £16 million.4
Justice Matthew Nicklin stated that mere suspicion was insufficient to prove unlawful information gathering. ANL described the ruling as a decisive victory for the free press. The claimants are expected to make an interim payment by August 28, with the judge set to confirm the amount in a written ruling next month.
The High Court reconvened for a two-day hearing to determine costs, revealing that ANL's total expenses exceed its approved budget by more than £18.6 million. The claimants' legal representatives argued for an interim payment of just over £7.9 million.
Mr Justice Nicklin is expected to provide a written ruling on the interim payment and costs assessment in the week of August 17.
“The court's ruling, described as a decisive victory for Associated Newspapers, revealed that the claimants must pay an interim amount by August 28. Justice Nicklin noted that the legal costs incurred by the publisher have reached £34.5 million, significantly exceeding the approved budget.”
Ynetnews
The Independent
