Prince Harry and six others lose High Court privacy case against Daily Mail publisher

A London judge dismissed all 97 allegations that Associated Newspapers Limited obtained private information unlawfully for stories published between 1993 and 2011. Judge Matthew Nicklin ruled that the claimants had failed to prove the allegations and that suspicion alone was insufficient.

The court rejected the argument that private information without a positive explanation from the publisher must have been obtained unlawfully.

The trial lasted more than two months and included claims that the publisher used private investigators for voicemail interception, phone tapping and obtaining private records through deception. The publisher denied wrongdoing and argued the claims were brought too late.

Judge Matthew Nicklin said the claimants had to prove the information was sourced illegally. The same statement said every article was legitimately sourced.

Harry, who arrived in London on Monday evening, called the ruling “a whitewash” in a statement issued Tuesday. ” The Duke of Sussex is in the UK for a week of engagements marking one year until the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. His wife and children did not accompany him due to security concerns.

Limited welcomed the decision, describing it as “an overwhelming victory for the Daily Mail and its journalists.” A spokesperson said the judge accepted the honesty of the journalists’ evidence. The publisher added it would seek to recover costs incurred defending the case. The judge is scheduled to address costs at a two-day hearing beginning July 29.

““The court rejected the argument that, simply because information was private, and because Associated could not positively explain how it had been sourced, the relevant article must have been unlawfully sourced.””