Prince Harry is challenging the dismissal of his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, after a major court defeat in July. The Duke of Sussex and five other claimants have applied for permission to appeal the ruling, maintaining that the decisions dismissing their allegations of unlawful information gathering and ordering them to pay legal costs were legally and factually flawed.
Prince Harry seeks permission to appeal Daily Mail lawsuit dismissal
According to Hello Magazine, Prince Harry and five other claimants sought permission to appeal on Friday, Nov. 6. The group includes Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Elizabeth Hurley, Elton John, David Furnish and Sadie Frost. They are challenging the dismissal of their claims and the indemnity costs order.
“The claimants respectfully disagree with those unprecedented decisions, which they consider to be legally and factually flawed,” the statement read.
The legal action accused Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) of commissioning unlawful information gathering. Investigators allegedly installed listening devices in cars and obtained private records through “blagging.” The claimants also alleged that ANL accessed or recorded private phone conversations.
Following an 11-week trial, Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed all seven original claimants’ cases on July 7. He ruled that they had failed to prove the alleged wrongdoing.
In August, the judge ordered the group to pay £9,544,355 within seven days toward ANL’s legal costs. The publisher called the decision an “overwhelming victory” and a “magnificent vindication of the Daily Mail’s journalism”.
Harry criticized the judgment, arguing that it failed to deliver justice or accountability. He said it contradicted previous findings in phone-hacking cases involving News Group Newspapers and Mirror Group Newspapers. He maintained that the evidence presented at trial deserved a different outcome.
Following the July ruling, Harry called the judgment a “complete and obvious whitewash.” He questioned the court’s conclusions. He also highlighted allegations involving an investigator who admitted on tape to unlawfully obtaining Baroness Lawrence’s private information.
Harry said, “We presented to the Court evidence which we believed was compelling at the time and remains so now.” He thanked the legal team and witnesses who came forward to support the case.
The application continues the dispute, but the Court of Appeal must grant permission before an appeal can proceed.
