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☆ Prince Harry Wages War Against Tabloids Forced to Change, if Not Retreat
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In his hacking lawsuit being heard in a British court, Prince Harry aims to land another blow against a tabloid industry that has long been accused of widespread privacy abuses but that has been forced in recent years to rein in its excesses. So even if Harry, the younger son of King Charles III, wins his suit against the Mirror Group Newspapers for allegedly hacking his cellphone more than a decade ago, analysts question how much of an impact a legal victory would have on publications that have already had to adapt because of hefty legal settlements, prison time for their journalists and the threat of regulation. The prince, who took the stand on Tuesday, has been at war with the raucous, freewheeling press for years. And since Britain’s phone-hacking scandal broke, it has forced a News Corporation publication to close, helped send several prominent journalists to jail, reaped hundreds of millions of pounds in legal fees and compensation for victims, and led Parliament to seriously consider regulating the industry. At the same time, the once-mighty British tabloids have been weakened by a digital revolution that has transformed the global media landscape by gutting revenue, even as the public’s appetite for celebrity news has not waned.

Persons: Prince Harry, Harry, King Charles III Organizations: Mirror, Newspapers, News Corporation

☆ Prince Harry Puts Britain’s Press on Trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Mark Landler | Megan Specia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To illustrate their case, Harry’s lawyers submitted 147 articles that it said were based on information obtained using illegal means. “Every facet of his life was splashed across the paper as an exclusive, a story too good not to publish,” Mr. Sherborne said. “The notion that this took place years ago is misplaced,” he said. Still, that is the nub of the case made by the Mirror Group’s lawyers. The practice of phone hacking has all but vanished since the scandal erupted in 2011, according to lawyers who specialize in these cases.

Persons: Princess Diana, Mr, Sherborne, ”, Harry, Nikki Sanderson, Michael Taylor, Fiona Wightman, Paul Whitehouse Organizations: The

It was not just the press that Harry criticised, breaking royal protocol on being non-political. Harry's evidence repeatedly referred to his suspicion that unlawful information gathering had been used to produce stories on him, in the face of suggestions he could not know for sure. At one point he asked: "Are you not, Prince Harry, in the realms of total speculation?" But, ultimately, it will be for the judge to decide whether Harry's evidence proves on the balance of probabilities that he was the victim of hacking and unlawful information gathering. The judge told Prince Harry he cannot discuss his evidence with anyone overnight, to which the Prince joked: "Not my children, my lord?

Persons: Prince Harry's, King Charles, Harry, Andrew Green, MGN, Green, Prince Harry, Jane Kerr, –, David Sherborne, Prince, Sam Tobin, Michael Holden, Nick Macfie Organizations: London's, Court, Mirror Group, Daily, Thomson Locations: London, British, Buckingham, Green, Sherborne

☆ Prince Harry is set to give evidence as he takes on UK newspaper publisher in court. Here’s what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The latest hearing in the Duke of Sussex’s case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) began Monday at the High Court. The appearance of a British royal in a witness box will be an exceptionally rare event. In court documents published last month, the publisher did apologize for one instance of unlawful information gathering nearly 20 years ago. And while this is Harry’s first appearance in a court case against the British media, it may not be his last. Prince Harry states that his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, was aware of settlement talks.

Persons: London CNN — Prince Harry’s, Duke, Harry, It’s, Sussex, MGN, David Sherborne, ” Harry, ” Sherborne, Sherborne, Meghan, Hannah McKay, Rupert, Princess Anne, Edward VII, Prince William, NGN, Prince Harry, Buckingham, Queen Elizabeth II Organizations: London CNN —, Mirror Group, Sunday People, MGN, PA Media, Court, British, Rupert Murdoch’s News Group, Reuters, NGN, Sun, Associated Newspapers Limited, CNN Locations: London, British, Windsor, Kensington

They accuse the publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, of widespread phone-hacking and unlawful information gathering between 1991 and 2011. Green began by personally apologising to Harry on MGN's behalf over one instance in which it admitted unlawful information gathering. In his written witness statement, Harry denounced the treatment he had experienced at the hands of the press. [1/6] Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex walks outside the Rolls Building of the High Court in London, Britain June 6, 2023. The publisher also argues that some of the personal information involved had come from senior royal aides, including from one of his father's former top officials.

Persons: Harry, Prince Harry, King Charles, Andrew Green, Green, MGN, Chelsy Davy, Duke of Sussex, Hannah McKay, David Sherborne, Harry's, Princess Diana, Piers Morgan, earwigging, Morgan, Rupert, I've, Michael Holden, Alex Richardson, Kate Holton, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Mirror Group, Daily, Sunday People, Court, REUTERS, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, Reach, Thomson Locations: LONDON, London, Britain, British

☆ Prince Harry set for London court appearance
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 5 (Reuters) - Prince Harry is expected to appear at London's High Court on Monday as he prepares to give evidence in his lawsuit against the publisher of British tabloid the Daily Mirror. Harry, King Charles' younger son, will this week become the first senior British royal to give evidence in court for 130 years, which is likely to take place on Monday or Tuesday. The trial began last month, as lawyers representing Harry and three other test claimants attempted to prove that unlawful information gathering was carried out with the knowledge and approval of senior editors and executives. Harry, the fifth-in-line to the throne, has barely been out of the headlines in the last six months. The prince has also accused his family and their aides in his memoir and Netflix documentary series of colluding with tabloids.

Persons: Prince Harry, Harry, King Charles, Elton John, Rupert Murdoch's, Sam Tobin, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Group, Daily, Sunday, Reach, Sunday People, High, Sunday Mail, Netflix, Thomson Locations: British, Buckingham, Rupert Murdoch's British

☆ Harry to become first British royal in 130 years to give evidence in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SummarySummary Companies Prince, celebrities accuse tabloids of phone-hackingHarry to appear in witness box in London's High CourtRoyal aides likely to feature in cross-examinationHarry first senior British royal to testify since 1890sLONDON, June 2 (Reuters) - Prince Harry will become the first senior British royal to give evidence in court for 130 years when he testifies next week in his lawsuit against a newspaper group he accuses of unlawful behaviour. More than 100 people are suing MGN, with Harry and three others selected as test cases. MGN is contesting the allegations and says senior figures denied knowing anything about hacking and had any wrongdoing concealed from them. Instead, Buckingham Palace is likely to feature prominently in Harry's cross-examination, with MGN arguing that some information had come from royal aides. Harry has said that his family and their aides had been complicit in leaking negative stories to protect or enhance their own reputations.

Persons: Harry, Prince Harry, King Charles, Edward VII, David Yelland, Rupert Murdoch's Sun, MGN, David Sherborne, Piers Morgan, Meghan, Morgan, Yelland, Elton John, Michael Holden, Kate Holton, Janet Lawrence Organizations: Royal, Mirror Group, Daily, Sunday, Netflix, Reach, Sunday People, High Court, Sunday Mail, Thomson Locations: British, Buckingham, London

☆ Investigator boasted about 'getting queen's medical records', Prince Harry case told
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, May 17 (Reuters) - A private investigator who worked for the publisher of the Daily Mirror boasted he could "get the queen's medical records", a retired police officer on Wednesday told a court hearing Prince Harry's lawsuit against the British newspaper. Former police officer Derek Haslam told London's High Court that MGN journalists regularly paid a private investigation company, Southern Investigations, to unlawfully gather information. 'QUEEN'S MEDICAL RECORDS'Rees, also a former police officer, "would openly brag" about conducting hacking and blagging – getting private information by deception – on behalf of MGN journalists, Haslam told the court. Haslam also said Rees had told him that he had "sold some information to the Mirror for a story about Prince Michael of Kent being in debt to the bank". Reporting by Sam Tobin; additional reporting by Michael Holden; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Prince Harry should not be allowed to pay for police protection, court told
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - Prince Harry should not be allowed to pay for his own police protection while in Britain because wealthy individuals should not be able to buy specially trained officers as private bodyguards, lawyers for the British government told a court on Tuesday. Since moving to California, where they live with their two young children, they have relied on a private security team, but say those arrangements do not give the fifth-in-line to the throne the level of protection he needs while visiting Britain. Harry, who was briefly in Britain for his father King Charles' Coronation earlier this month, offered to pay for the protection himself, which authorities refused. Last year, Britain's former counter-terrorism police chief said there had been credible threats made against the couple by far-right extremists. A judge initially denied him permission for this in February and on Tuesday his lawyers sought to overturn that decision.

London CNN —The publisher of UK tabloid the Daily Mirror has apologized to Prince Harry for using unlawful methods to gather information about his private life. The pair has filed at least seven lawsuits against British and US media organizations since 2019, including Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers, according to Reuters. News Group Newspapers publishes the Sun and used to produce News of the World, which was shut down in 2011 over its own phone hacking scandal. A spokesperson for Mirror Group Newspapers said in a statement Wednesday that “where historical wrongdoing” has taken place, the group has taken “full responsibility” and apologized “unreservedly” for its actions. Mirror Group Newspapers “is now part of a very different company.

☆ Daily Mirror apologises to Prince Harry over unlawful information gathering
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, May 10 (Reuters) - The publisher of Britain's Daily Mirror tabloid apologised to Prince Harry on Wednesday for ordering the unlawful gathering of information, court documents showed. In documents presented at court as part of a phone hacking trial, Mirror Group Newspapers, which is owned by Reach (RCH.L), admitted on one occasion a private investigator had been engaged to unlawfully gather evidence about King Charles's younger son at a nightclub. It said it "unreservedly apologises and accepts that (Harry) is entitled to appropriate compensation". Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Paul SandleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dominion isn’t Rupert Murdoch’s costliest legal defeat. Not even close
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But for now, the price tag attached to the Dominion case isn’t the worst Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch has had to stomach. A phone hacking scandal involving Murdoch’s tabloid newspaper empire in the United Kingdom has proven much more costly over the past decade or so. It looked at legal fees and damages, as well as expenses tied to the subsequent restructuring of Murdoch’s UK media empire. The last big Murdoch legal fightThe editor of Murdoch’s News of the World and a private investigator were convicted of conspiracy to hack the voicemails of British royals in 2007. Britain’s Prince Harry and actor Hugh Grant are among those who have filed legal challenges against The Sun tied to phone hacking.

☆ Prince Harry and Elton John are going to court in a high-profile fight against the Daily Mail
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Both Prince Harry and Elton John were in court on Monday as proceedings commenced in an explosive lawsuit brought against Daily Mail publisher, Associated Newspapers. Even the Daily Mail published an article on their arrival in court. A spokesperson for Prince Harry told Reuters that the Duke of Sussex wanted to be present to signal public support for the case. It’s no surprise that Prince Harry would use his celebrity to gin up attention about the lawsuit. But if it does go to trial, it is safe to say that it will be precisely the type of trial that an outlet like the Daily Mail relishes in covering.

☆ Prince Harry lawsuit against newspaper publisher set for May trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 8 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Harry's lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mirror newspaper over allegations of phone hacking will go to trial in May, a judge at London's High Court ruled on Wednesday. Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is one of several public figures whose lawsuits against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) will be considered at the trial. David Sherborne, a lawyer representing Harry and the other claimants, earlier told the court that Harry would be "the only witness" relied upon in his case – raising the prospect of the prince entering the witness box to give evidence. The wave of litigation follows the collapse of Harry and his wife Meghan's relationship with Britain's media since their marriage in 2018. Harry has since – in his memoir "Spare" and accompanying TV interviews – also accused other royals of leaking stories about him and his wife Meghan to tabloid newspapers.

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