Harry and Elton appeal £9.5m privacy loss as judge rules no phone taps

Prince Harry has launched a Court of Appeal bid to overturn a judge’s decision that dismissed his privacy lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail. The Duke of Sussex, alongside other high-profile figures, is challenging the ruling which ordered the claimant group to pay nearly £9.5 million to the newspaper. According to Sky News ^[1], the appeal follows a decision by Mr Justice Nicklin who concluded that the defendants did not engage in unlawful information-gathering.

The legal battle, reported by Metro ^[2], saw Prince Harry join forces with Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, and actresses Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost. They sued Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) alleging that private investigators and journalists used tactics such as voicemail interception, landline tapping, and 'blagging'. However, the judge dismissed all claims, stating that the journalists provided a compelling account of legitimate sourcing through friends, press officers, and public reporting.

Following the verdict, Prince Harry described the trial as a 'whitewash'. A spokesperson for the group confirmed that applications have been filed with the Court of Appeal for permission to challenge both the dismissal of their claims and the indemnity costs order. The spokesperson stated that the claimants respectfully disagree with the decisions, considering them legally and factually flawed.

The interim payment of £9,544,355 is to be made while full costs are assessed. Lawyers for the publisher argued that the reporting relied on established news networks rather than intrusive surveillance. This development marks the next chapter in a long-running dispute over privacy standards and press conduct in the UK. The Court of Appeal will now decide whether to grant permission for the case to proceed to full hearing, potentially reopening questions about the boundaries of journalistic sourcing in the digital age.