Prince Harry Makes Fresh Legal Move to Revive Bitter Privacy Battle Against Daily Mail Publisher
Prince Harry has taken a fresh step in his long-running legal battle against the publisher of the Daily Mail, seeking permission to appeal the dismissal of his privacy claims in a case involving allegations of unlawful information gathering.
The Duke of Sussex has joined five other high-profile claimants in challenging the decisions made by Mr Justice Nicklin earlier this year, after their claims against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) were dismissed.
The group includes Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, actress Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, all of whom had brought legal action against the publisher.
In a significant development, the six claimants have now filed applications with the Court of Appeal, asking for permission to challenge the earlier judgments and have their cases reconsidered.
Their legal representatives confirmed the move in a statement issued on Friday, making clear that the group disagrees with the decisions reached by the High Court.
The statement also revealed that the applications challenge a separate ruling requiring the claimants to pay ANL’s legal costs on an indemnity basis, a particularly significant aspect of the financial consequences of the case.
“We confirm that the Claimants have today filed applications with the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal the judgments of Mr Justice Nicklin in respect of his dismissal of their claims and the indemnity costs order,” the statement read.
The claimants also expressed strong disagreement with the rulings, describing the decisions as unprecedented and arguing that they were legally and factually flawed.
The legal dispute centres on allegations that Associated Newspapers Limited was responsible for unlawful information-gathering practices over a number of years.
Among the accusations were claims involving the alleged use of private investigators to obtain confidential information about individuals without their knowledge or consent.
ANL has strongly denied the allegations throughout the proceedings, maintaining its position during the lengthy legal battle.
The case went to an 11-week trial in London earlier this year, during which the allegations and evidence presented by the parties were examined in court.
However, the proceedings ended in a major setback for Harry and the other claimants when Mr Justice Nicklin delivered his judgment on July 7.
The judge ruled that the claimants had failed to establish their cases and dismissed all the claims against the publisher.
The decision also resulted in the separate indemnity costs order, which the group is now seeking to challenge alongside the dismissal of their claims.
Harry’s latest legal move means the dispute is not necessarily over, although permission to appeal must first be granted by the Court of Appeal.
If permission is granted, the claimants will have another opportunity to challenge the earlier judgments, potentially extending one of the Duke’s most closely watched privacy battles.
