The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, has faced a setback in his legal battle against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) concerning allegations of phone hacking. The latest ruling comes shortly after another application by the Duke was rejected in a separate case involving the Home Office.
Prince Harry’s legal representative, David Sherborne, requested to introduce three new witness statements into evidence during the trial. Sherborne argued that these statements held crucial importance and provided valid reasons for their delayed submission. All three witnesses came forward after the trial commenced on May 10, as Sherborne claimed that the claims made on behalf of MGN were believed to be false.
However, the presiding judge, Mr Justice Fancourt, dismissed the application, citing its untimeliness and the need for the defendant to thoroughly investigate the new evidence. Judge Fancourt stated that admitting this evidence at such a late stage would compromise the overall fairness of the trial.
Simultaneously, in a related legal matter, actor Hugh Grant has been denied the opportunity to proceed to trial with his separate claims of phone hacking against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun newspaper. Grant alleges being targeted by journalists and private investigators specifically regarding The Sun, after previously settling a claim with NGN in 2012 relating to the now-defunct News Of The World.
NGN sought to dismiss Grant’s claim, along with a similar claim made by Prince Harry, citing the untimely filing of the claims. However, Mr Justice Fancourt ruled that Grant’s claim, excluding the phone hacking allegations, could proceed to trial. The judge noted that Grant had prior knowledge of the phone hacking and should have brought the claim earlier, but the other aspects of his allegations will be subject to trial.
While Grant’s claims include accusations of “burglaries to order” and unlawful acts committed by The Sun, such as breaking into private properties, bugging, landline tapping, and the utilization of private investigators, Prince Harry’s case primarily revolves around allegations of phone hacking against Mirror Group Newspapers. The civil trial, which has completed its third week, is set to resume in June when Prince Harry is expected to testify before the High Court.
