UK High Court Dismisses Privacy Lawsuits Against Daily Mail Publisher

A UK High Court judge dismissed privacy lawsuits Tuesday brought by Prince Harry and six other claimants against Associated Newspapers Limited, publisher of the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline. The written ruling found that the group had not proven allegations of voicemail interception, phone tapping and obtaining private records through deception between 1993 and 2011.

Judge Matthew Nicklin said suspicion alone was not enough and that the claimants had to prove the information used by the publisher had been obtained unlawfully.

Background to the case The claimants filed the suits in 2022.

Associated Newspapers Limited denied any wrongdoing and maintained that its journalists used legitimate sources. The court heard claims that the publisher had tasked private investigators to engage in voicemail interception, phone tapping and obtaining sensitive private records through deception.

The judge rejected the argument that private information combined with the publisher's inability to explain sourcing proved unlawful methods.

UK visit Prince Harry arrived in London on Monday evening for a week of engagements marking one year until the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. His wife and children remained in California after security arrangements could not be finalized. Prince Harry attended a separate charity event in London on Tuesday after the ruling was issued remotely.

The publisher welcomed the decision in a statement saying it was an overwhelming victory for the Daily Mail and its journalists.

“In every case, the judge accepted the honesty of our journalists’ evidence on how they sourced their stories.”