Judge Rules on Harry's Case

In July 2023, a High Court judge in London, Mr Justice Fancourt, delivered a split ruling in Prince Harry’s legal case against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World. The decision addressed whether parts of the Duke of Sussex’s claims, linked to alleged unlawful information gathering, could proceed to trial. The ruling allowed certain elements of Prince Harry’s case to move forward, particularly those related to alleged unlawful activities such as phone hacking and the use of private investigators during the period when News of the World was in operation. At the same time, the judge rejected other parts of the claim, including arguments that were considered to have been brought too late under legal time limits. This division resulted in what was described as a partial or split outcome, with some allegations permitted to be tested in court while others were dismissed at that stage. Mr Justice Fancourt’s judgment formed part of a wider set of legal actions involving multiple claimants against NGN, all connected to the long-running UK phone-hacking scandal. NGN has denied the allegations, particularly in relation to The Sun, maintaining that unlawful practices were not authorized at the publication. The case involving Prince Harry continued beyond this ruling, with further legal proceedings expected to examine the remaining claims.