Prince Harry wears black suit and white shirt, smiles as he is surrounded by two men who look like bodyguards…reports Asian Lite News
Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at London’s High Court as legal proceedings have started over allegations of phone tapping and other breaches of privacy.
A group of high-profile seven Britons launched legal action against the publishers of The Daily Mail, alleging the UK newspaper invaded their privacy and tapped their phones.
The hearing is expected to conclude on Thursday. A judge will decide if the case will go any further.
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The claimants allege Associated Newspapers — one of Britain’s biggest newspaper publishers, whose titles include the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday — is responsible for unlawful information gathering.
The allegations date over a 25-year period.
The case alleges Associated Newspapers Ltd commissioned the “breaking and entry into private property”, and engaging in unlawful acts that included hiring private investigators to bug homes and cars, and record private phone conversations.
Attorney David Sherborne said in court documents the intrusions were “habitual and widespread” and later “concealed or covered up”. Associated Newspapers “vehemently denies” the allegations.
Prince Harry wears black suit and white shirt, smiles as he is surrounded by two men who look like bodyguards.
In his claim, The Duke of Sussex accuses the papers of using unlawful means to obtain stories about him from at least early 2001 until at least late 2013.
He also claims brother Prince William and Prince William’s mother-in-law, Carole Middleton, had also been targeted.
Prince Harry said in his written lawsuit that he regards Associated Newspapers’ alleged conduct as: “a major betrayal given promises made by the media to improve its conduct following the tragic and untimely death of his mother, Princess Diana”.
Prince Harry’s presence at the High Court in London came as a surprise because claimants were not required to attend.
This is one of several lawsuits the prince has brought in his battle against the press. Harry has said he wants to make reforming the British media his life’s work.
An Associated Newspapers spokesperson said the allegations were “unsubstantiated and highly defamatory claims, based on no credible evidence”. Associated Newspapers is seeking to have the cases thrown out on the basis they were brought too late.
It says the seven claimants must have known about allegations of unlawful information gathering made several years ago, prompting a year-long public inquiry into press standards and years of litigation against various publishers.
Associated Newspapers argues the claimants should have known they could sue more than six years ago— meaning the cases should be thrown out of court.
A mother of killed son, Doreen Lawrence, wearing pink coat and layers of clothing walks street to high court in London.
The allegations made by Doreen Lawrence — whose fight for justice was long supported by the Daily Mail — will be most concerning to the publisher, which said it had “campaigned tirelessly for 25 years to obtain justice for Stephen Lawrence” when the lawsuits were announced in October.
Lawrence says in her written case that she “feels a deep sense of betrayal” over the allegations that she was targeted.
Associated Newspapers said then that it had “the greatest respect and admiration” for Ms Lawrence. The publisher added it is “deeply saddening that whoever is cynically and unscrupulously orchestrating these claims” had persuaded her to believe the allegations.
It’s not the first case of its kind, and many of those named in this lawsuit have been involved in legal action against the press before.
Prince Harry is also suing the publisher of another tabloid, the Daily Mirror, in a separate hacking suit. Hurley, John and Furnish settled phone-hacking claims against the publisher of the now-defunct News of the World shortly before it went to trial in 2019. That case resulted in the conviction of former editor Andy Coulson, who later went to work for then-prime minister David Cameron as his communications chief.
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