After the Daily Mail's triumphant acquittal on charges of illegal wiretapping and Prince Harry's defeat, the legal dispute was transferred to the High Court in London to determine the damages.
Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, is seeking an interim payment of £10 million ($13.3 million) and the covering of its costs on the basis of full compensation, while accusing the 41-year-old prince of unjustified abuse of his public image.
The much-discussed legal battle was a complete defeat for Prince Harry, Elton John and other public figures, as the High Court in London dismissed their claims against Associated Newspapers in their entirety.
Following the defeat, Harry called the decision a “complete and obvious rip-off”, while the publishing company called it a crushing victory “for press freedom”.
In his ruling, Judge Matthew Nicklin categorically stressed that the plaintiffs had to prove by evidence that the published information had been obtained by illegal means, such as wiretapping, stressing that mere suspicions were not sufficient as evidence.
The publishing company called it a landslide victory for journalism and press freedom in general, while the 41-year-old prince reacted strongly, describing the verdict as a “complete and obvious washout”.
Mammoth bill
The legal battle moved to the field of legal costs, where the plaintiffs’ lawyers revealed that Associated Newspapers said its costs amounted to “simply outrageous 34.5 million pounds” (about 45.8 million dollars), far exceeding its approved budget.
During the hearing on Wednesday (29/7), the publishing group’s lawyer, Anthony White, argued that the plaintiffs should pay the costs on an indemnity basis.
According to court documents, the plaintiffs’ lawyers described the amount of ANL’s costs as “dizzying”, which, by July 9, amounted to almost 34.5 million pounds and argue that the publishing company exceeded the initially approved costs of the case by about 18.6 million pounds
This means that the loser is obliged to cover the expense without considering whether the amounts were reasonable or proportionate.
Associated is seeking an immediate interim payment of 10 million pounds ($13.3 million).
Attacks, accusations and Harry’s reaction
The Daily Mail’s legal representative described the lawsuit by famous personalities as an attempt to create a “symposium of legal battles”, emphasizing that very serious accusations were launched without any evidence.
At the same time, he criticized Prince Harry's public statements after the decision, speaking of an abuse of his position and celebrity, describing his attitude as "completely inappropriate and unreasonable".
The prince's side is in a difficult position, as the insurance policy they had to cover legal costs reaches only 16 million pounds.
Prince Harry, Sir Elton John, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Elizabeth Hurley and others, accused Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) of illegally collecting personal information
On the plaintiffs' side, lawyer Nicholas Bacon pointed out that Associated Newspapers' attitude shows its intention to "hit the nail" in order to get revenge.
“The claimants accept that their claims have been dismissed and that it is reasonable to make an order for costs on the usual basis,” they replied in a written statement.
“However, the additional burden of a costs award on the basis of full compensation should not, in the circumstances, be imposed.”
In this context, they proposed the payment of an interim sum of £8 million by 28 August, while the application for a right of appeal against the main judgment has been postponed until after the judge’s decision on costs is completed.
The hearing is continuing, with a final decision on the amount and distribution of the costs expected at a later date, according to the BBC.
