Prince Harry’s courtroom defeat could drive up legal insurance premiums
Prince Harry’s High Court defeat to the owner of the Daily Mail could send legal insurance premiums soaring, experts have warned, after the Duke and six other high-profile figures were left on the hook for an uninsured bill of £19m. The Duke of Sussex, Sir Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, actresses Liz Hurley [...]
The High Court's recent defeat for Prince Harry and six other high-profile individuals could potentially lead to a significant increase in legal insurance premiums, according to industry experts. The group, including figures such as Sir Elton John, Liz Hurley, and Simon Hughes, had brought a lawsuit against the Daily Mail publisher in 2022, alleging serious privacy breaches spanning over three decades.
Although they had purchased After the Event (ATE) insurance covering £16.2 million of Associated Newspapers costs if they lost the case, the judge ruled against imposing a ceiling on the £34.5 million in costs associated with the case. This caused the claimants to be ordered to pay £9.5 million in interim costs to Associated Newspapers by 4pm on August 28th.
Judge Matthew Nicklin's decision to not limit the recoverable costs, despite them seeming excessive, has raised concerns about the reasonableness of the amounts claimed. This ruling could prompt ATE insurers to more closely scrutinize future cases and potentially increase premiums.
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