The commencement of Prince Harry’s court case against Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group has been postponed at London’s High Court due to the disarray caused by last-minute settlement discussions between the two parties.
Harry and former senior MP Tom Watson are suing News Group Newspapers for alleged unlawful activities committed between 1996 and 2011 by journalists and private investigators employed by its papers, the Sun and the defunct News of the World.
David Sherborne, Harry and Watson’s attorney, requested additional time from the judge, Timothy Fancourt, on Tuesday at the commencement of an eight-week trial.
Prince Harry’s Mission for Accountability in Court Case Against News Group Newspapers
Fancourt granted the request; however, he stipulated that it would be the “last adjournment” and that proceedings would commence if no accord were reached.
Sherborne later sought more time for negotiations, a plea supported by Anthony Hudson, NGN’s counsel. Hudson’s mention of “time difference difficulties” may have hinted at Harry’s residence in California.
Fancourt stated that the court filings lack information that could influence resolution efforts. In response, Hudson remarked, “There will be additional issues arising when the trial starts that will significantly affect the settlement dynamics.”
The judge declined to grant the parties additional time, but he did allow some of the lawyers from both factions to continue discussing a potential settlement while the trial commenced.
Hudson requested that Fancourt engage in a brief private conversation; Fancourt responded, “I will not initiate secret hearings regarding the situation.”
Additionally, the magistrate declined to grant permission to appeal. He departed the court, allowing the parties to appeal directly to the Court of Appeal. He acknowledged that this action would likely result in them achieving their objectives.
Prince Harry has stated that his objective is not to obtain financial gain but to ascertain the truth. This statement was made in response to the fact that other claimants settled their cases to prevent the possibility of a multimillion-pound legal bill, which could be imposed even if they were successful in court, but had rejected NGN’s offer.
“Accountability is one of the primary motivations for completing this, as I am the last individual capable of accomplishing this,” Harry, who is scheduled to give testimony in February, stated last month.
NGN has settled over 1,300 lawsuits tied to celebrities, politicians, prominent sports figures, and their associates or notable events. Furthermore, it has compensated victims of phone hacking and other unlawful information collection by the News of the World with hundreds of millions of pounds.
Prince Harry’s legal team has previously stated in court documents that his older brother, Prince William, the heir to the throne, had resolved his case against NGN in 2020 for “a very large sum of money.”
Although Murdoch closed the News of the World in 2011, the publisher has consistently denied allegations of unlawful activity at the Sun and announced that it will vigorously defend the allegations.
