Overview
- A High Court judge will publish a written judgment on Tuesday July 7 that follows a 10–11 week trial held in London earlier this year.
- The claimants, led by Prince Harry and including Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost, Doreen Lawrence and Simon Hughes, say dozens of Mail and Mail on Sunday stories from the 1990s to 2011 relied on voicemail interception, landline tapping and 'blagging'.
- Associated Newspapers Limited has denied the core allegations, argued that many claims are time‑barred, and told the court it has a full defence while admitting only limited data‑law breaches such as obtaining non‑public phone numbers.
- Lawyers warned that the decision could shift tens of millions of pounds in legal costs and lead to substantial damages if the claimants succeed, with the losing side expected to bear most of the bill.
- Beyond the money, the ruling will affect the reputations and future legal options of both the claimants and the publisher and will clarify how UK courts treat discovery dates and time‑bar defences in unlawful information‑gathering claims.