Harry Loses Bid to Name Murdoch in Hacking Claim

On 21/05/2024, the UK High Court ruled that Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, could not expand his legal claim against News Group Newspapers (NGN) to include allegations that media executive Rupert Murdoch personally participated in or covered up unlawful activity. The decision formed part of ongoing legal proceedings related to phone hacking and other alleged unlawful information-gathering practices by newspapers owned by NGN. Prince Harry is among several claimants pursuing legal action against NGN, the publisher of titles such as The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World. His case centers on accusations that journalists and private investigators engaged in unlawful methods, including phone hacking and misuse of private information, during past reporting activities. The broader litigation has been ongoing for years and is tied to the wider UK phone-hacking scandal that led to multiple investigations and court cases. In this specific ruling, the High Court determined that the proposed amendments to Harry’s claim, which sought to implicate Rupert Murdoch directly in an alleged cover-up, were not permissible within the current scope of the case. The court’s decision meant that the proceedings would continue without those additional allegations being formally included. NGN has consistently denied wrongdoing in relation to the claims brought against it. The ruling did not conclude the overall case, which remained active following the decision. Legal arguments between Prince Harry and NGN were expected to proceed on the existing claims, focusing on the alleged unlawful newsgathering practices rather than the expanded accusations that had been rejected by the court.