High-Profile Defeat: Prince Harry's £10 Million Legal Setback

Associated Newspapers is seeking £10 million from Prince Harry and other claimants following their failed lawsuits against the Daily Mail publisher. A UK court ruled against allegations of unlawful activities such as phone hacking. Despite the ruling, the claimants argue against covering costs on an indemnity basis.

In a significant legal development, Associated Newspapers has demanded an interim payment of £10 million from Prince Harry and other prominent claimants after they lost their privacy lawsuits against the Daily Mail publisher. Earlier this month, London's High Court rejected allegations of unlawful practices, including phone hacking, by the Mail titles.

Prince Harry criticized the ruling as a 'complete and obvious whitewash'. Meanwhile, Associated hailed the decision as a major victory for its journalists and the freedom of the press. At a hearing to determine legal cost liabilities, Antony White, a lawyer for Associated, argued the claimants should pay costs on an indemnity basis, covering all charges without needing to demonstrate their proportionality.

Associating the lawsuit with a 'banquet of litigation,' White contended that serious allegations were made without evidence. In contrast, lawyers for the claimants highlighted that Associated's legal expenditures exceeded the agreed budget by over £34 million. While offering £8 million as an interim payment, they opposed the indemnity costs order. Judge Matthew Nicklin emphasized that the claimants’ failure to prove unlawful information acquisition led to the dismissal.