Overview
- A two‑day costs hearing began on Wednesday after Judge Timothy Nicklin dismissed Prince Harry and six other claimants earlier this year for failing to prove unlawful newsgathering.
- Associated Newspapers says it spent about £34–34.5 million defending the case and asks the court to order the plaintiffs to pay an unusually large share by awarding costs on an indemnity basis.
- Court papers show the claimants’ insurance covers £16.2 million so an indemnity award for the full sum would leave roughly £18.2 million uninsured, about £2.6 million each if split evenly among seven plaintiffs.
- ANL told the court the litigation amounted to a campaign and cited paid or retracted witness evidence, naming private investigator Gavin Burrows and plaintiffs’ post‑judgment statements as reasons for higher costs; the claimants’ lawyers say their clients acted in good faith.
- The judge has reserved a written decision and that ruling will determine immediate financial exposure for the plaintiffs, influence whether high‑value privacy claims proceed, and signal how UK courts treat public criticism of judgments.