Prince Harry
He can change that in the lawsuit against the British publisher
© imago images/Cover-Images
New round in the fight against the media group News Group Newspapers: Prince Harry now has to accept defeat in his lawsuit.
Prince Harry (39) has suffered a setback in the lawsuit against News Group Newspapers (NGN). He cannot expand the lawsuit to include allegations against the then publishing boss Rupert Murdoch (93), as the London High Court said on Tuesday (May 21). according to BBC Has decided. The judge said the allegations about Murdoch’s alleged knowledge of unlawful activities at the NGN would add “nothing material” to the case.
The case concerns allegedly illegal methods of obtaining information by journalists and private investigators at NGN, the publisher of the newspaper “The Sun” and the discontinued tabloid “News of the World”. NGN denies the allegations made by Prince Harry and others. A spokesman for the publisher said that the court had now “thoroughly confirmed” the company’s position by refusing permission to introduce “large and significant” changes to the case. Earlier this year, lawyers representing the plaintiffs claimed that Murdoch knew about unlawful activity as early as 2004 but “turned a blind eye.”
Private detectives hired for Meghan?
The current court decision also does not allow Prince Harry to move the time frame of the lawsuit to 1994 and 1995 to include allegations involving his late mother, Princess Diana (1961-1997). He also cannot add any new allegations that the “Sun” hired private detectives in 2016 to monitor his then partner and current wife, Duchess Meghan (42). However, he is allowed to include the accusation that the newspapers tapped his landline telephones, as well as make other accusations against journalists and private investigators. Despite the dismissed claims, a statement said: “Plaintiffs are pleased that the court has today granted them permission to amend their case on a number of key issues that NGN vehemently opposes.” The trial is expected to begin in January next year.
The News of the World closed in 2011 following allegations of phone hacking. NGN has since settled several lawsuits. Actor Hugh Grant (63) reached an out-of-court agreement with the publisher in April. This was also about violating his privacy. Grant accused NGN of journalists using private investigators to tap his phone and break into his house. NGN had denied the allegations. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.