Prince Harry And Six Others Face £34.5m Legal Bill After Losing Mail Privacy Case

Prince Harry and six other public figures face up to £34.5 million in legal costs after losing their privacy case against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers. The High Court ordered them to pay £9.54 million initially, while criticising their handling of serious allegations as highly unreasonable. The group has until October 2 to pursue an appeal

Prince Harry and six other high-profile figures could face a legal bill of up to £34.5 million after a High Court judge ordered them to pay the legal costs of Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail, following their failed privacy case.
The claimants must make an initial payment of £9.54 million by August 28, while the court considers the publisher's full legal costs.
The group has until October 2 to seek permission to appeal the judgment.

JUDGE CRITICISES CLAIMANTS' CONDUCT

Mr Justice Nicklin described the case as an unusual situation in which the claimants should potentially pay substantially more than the legal costs originally agreed before the trial.
He criticised the way the allegations were presented, describing the claimants' conduct as “unreasonable to a high degree.”
The judge was particularly critical of the failure to withdraw serious allegations against individuals when the claimants no longer had sufficient evidence to support them.
He said allegations involving serious wrongdoing should not remain publicly attached to individuals if they are no longer being pursued or cannot be properly supported by evidence.

CLAIMANTS DENIED UNLAWFUL INFORMATION-GATHERING

The case involved allegations that Associated Newspapers journalists and others had unlawfully gathered private information about the claimants.
ANL denied the allegations.
On July 7, Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed the claims, rejecting the case brought by the seven claimants.
The judge has now ordered that ANL's costs should generally be assessed on an indemnity basis, which can allow a successful party to recover a greater proportion of its legal expenses.

WHO ARE THE OTHER CLAIMANTS?

Prince Harry is joined in the case by:
Sir Elton John
David Furnish
Sir Simon Hughes
Sadie Frost
Liz Hurley
Baroness Doreen Lawrence
The group had insurance covering up to approximately £16.2 million of ANL's legal costs if they lost the case.
However, Friday's ruling could allow the publisher to seek recovery of a significantly larger amount.
The judge said a claim exceeding £34 million appeared excessive, but declined to impose a fixed ceiling on the amount ANL could ultimately recover.

PUBLISHER CELEBRATES COURT VICTORY

Associated Newspapers described the ruling as a “devastating critique” of the claimants' case.
The publisher said the judgment represented a major victory for the newspaper group and its journalists, editors and executives, who had faced allegations of serious wrongdoing.
ANL's lawyers had sought an interim payment of more than £9.9 million, while lawyers representing the claimants argued that the payment should be slightly above £7.9 million.
The judge ultimately ordered the £9.54 million interim payment.

CLAIMANTS CONSIDER AN APPEAL

Sir Simon Hughes said he was disappointed with the judgment and was taking time to consider both the substantive ruling and the costs decision before deciding whether to appeal.
Harry and Baroness Doreen Lawrence had previously criticised the judgment, arguing that they had gone to court seeking justice and accountability but had not received either.
Their legal team has until October 2 to attempt to challenge the court's decision.

HARRY'S UK RETURN ADDS PUBLIC INTEREST

The legal ruling comes shortly after Harry and his wife, Meghan, announced plans to return to the United Kingdom.
Their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are expected to begin school in Britain in September.
Harry's return to the UK has attracted renewed public attention because of his long-running disputes with sections of the British media and his wider tensions with the royal family.
The privacy case is therefore another chapter in Harry's broader legal battles with British newspapers, although the latest judgment specifically concerns the claims against Associated Newspapers.

LEGAL COSTS COULD RUN INTO MILLIONS

Under normal civil litigation rules in England and Wales, the losing side can be required to reimburse the successful party's reasonable legal costs, although judges determine what costs are recoverable.
The seven claimants must also cover their own legal expenses.
While the judge questioned whether ANL's full £34.5 million claim was reasonable, his decision not to impose a ceiling leaves open the possibility of a substantial final bill.
For Harry and the other claimants, the immediate financial liability is therefore already significant, with the possibility of further costs depending on the outcome of any appeal and the final assessment of ANL's legal expenses.