Prince Harry’s court battle against Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group has been delayed as talks over a possible settlement reached the last minute. The lawsuit, which dates back to 2019, accuses News Group Newspapers of unlawful information gathering and phone-hacking.
Harry is suing along with former senior lawmaker Tom Watson, alleging that journalists and private investigators working for papers like the Sun and the defunct News of the World carried out these activities from 1996 until 2011. The royal has stated that his goal is not financial compensation but rather to uncover the truth behind these claims.
The trial was initially set to begin on Wednesday but was postponed after both sides asked for more time to negotiate a settlement. Judge Timothy Fancourt refused permission to appeal, but instead exited the courtroom visibly angry, leaving the parties to directly appeal to the Court of Appeal.
Prince Harry hopes to achieve accountability through this process, as he believes it’s essential that those responsible are held to account. The royal plans to testify himself in February if the trial proceeds.
It’s worth noting that News Group Newspapers has already settled over 1,300 lawsuits related to phone-hacking and other unlawful activities. However, Harry’s team intends to argue that senior executives and editors were aware of widespread phone-hacking and misled authorities, among other allegations.
The Murdoch group denies all claims, calling them “wrong, unsustainable, and strongly denied.” The trial will now focus on “generic issues” such as the extent of phone-hacking and information gathering.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/prince-harrys-court-battle-with-murdoch-papers-begins-2025-01-21