- Prince Harry and six other high-profile figures have been ordered to make an initial payment of £9.54m in legal costs to the Daily Mail's publisher after losing their High Court privacy case.
- The seven claimants, which include Sir Elton John and Liz Hurley, must pay the initial figure by 28 August and could potentially pay up to £25m more after that.
- On 7 July, Judge Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed the claims, stating that the public figures had failed to prove the allegations.
- The judge ruled that the Duke of Sussex and others must pay up to £34.5m in costs incurred by the newspaper group due to the manner in which the case was brought.
- The claimants have until 2 October to attempt to launch an appeal against the ruling.
- The judge described the potential £34m payment to ANL as "excessive", raising concerns about whether all claimed costs were reasonably incurred.
- The claimants had insurance to cover up to £16.2m of Association Newspapers' costs in the event of losing the case.
Prince Harry and six other prominent figures, including Sir Elton John and Liz Hurley, have been ordered to pay an initial £9.54 million in legal costs to the Daily Mail's publisher, Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), after losing a privacy case in the High Court.1
The claimants must settle this amount by August 28, with the potential for an additional £25 million in costs following a ruling by Judge Mr Justice Nicklin. The judge dismissed their claims, stating they failed to prove their allegations, and described the potential £34 million payment to ANL as "excessive".
The judge emphasized that he would not impose a ceiling on ANL's recoverable costs, citing concerns over fairness and arbitrariness. The claimants had insurance covering up to £16.2 million of ANL's costs, but the ruling allows the newspaper group to pursue up to £34.5 million in total costs incurred during the case.
The group, which includes high-profile individuals, has until October 2 to file an appeal against the ruling, which could significantly impact their financial liabilities.
Justice Nicklin noted that the costs incurred by ANL were a result of the way the case was presented, including claims that executives had lied during the Leveson inquiry.
This ruling marks a significant legal setback for the claimants, who sought to protect their privacy rights against media intrusion.
“The judge described the potential £34m payment as 'excessive' but declined to cap recoverable costs, citing fairness concerns. The claimants, including Sir Elton John and Liz Hurley, could face up to £25m more, with insurance covering only £16.2m of the publisher's costs.”
BBC
