Prince Harry and others ordered to pay $17.8m legal costs to Daily Mail publisher
The rejected lawsuit, brought by Prince Harry, singer Elton John and five other figures, alleged that the Mail had engaged in widespread unlawful activities, such as phone hacking.
Prince Harry, Elton John, and other celebrities have been ordered to pay an initial £9.54 million ($17.88 million) in legal costs to the Daily Mail's publisher, Associated Newspapers. This decision came after the celebrities' failed privacy lawsuits were deemed conducted in an unreasonable manner by a High Court judge. The ruling is seen as a significant victory for Associated Newspapers and its journalism.
The judge, Justice Matthew Nicklin, dismissed the allegations brought against the Daily Mail, including phone hacking, and ruled that the claimants must pay the legal costs on an indemnity basis. This means the celebrities, as the losing party, must cover the costs without the publisher needing to prove the expenses were reasonable or proportionate.
Justice Nicklin criticized the way the claimants presented their case, noting that serious allegations rested on speculative and inferential foundations. He found the cumulative effect of these issues took the case well beyond the norm, describing the conduct as unreasonable to a high degree.
Prince Harry and Associated Newspapers have not yet commented on the ruling. Associated Newspapers' spokesperson called it "another overwhelming victory for the Mail and its journalism." The court heard that Associated Newspapers incurred a legal bill of £34.5 million ($65.6 million), while the celebrities could only rely on an insurance policy covering £16 million ($30.4 million).
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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