High Court of England and Wales Dismisses Celebrities’ Lawsuit Over Unlawful Information Gathering
The High Court of England and Wales has ordered Prince Harry, singer Elton John, and other celebrities—who had accused the publisher of The Daily Mail of hacking their mobile devices—to pay £9.5 million ($13 million) in legal costs following their unsuccessful lawsuit. Sky News reported the development.
On July 7, the High Court dismissed the lawsuit brought by the celebrities, who had accused Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) of unlawful information gathering and invasion of privacy. The plaintiffs also included actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, Doreen Lawrence (a member of the House of Lords, the upper house of the British Parliament), and Simon Hughes (a former MP in the House of Commons, the lower house).
ANL had sought a total of £34.5 million ($47 million) from the plaintiffs, with an initial interim payment of £9.9 million ($13.5 million). Lawyers for the celebrities argued that the initial payment should be £7.9 million ($10.8 million). Ultimately, Judge Matthew Nicklin set the payment at £9.5 million. This total figure could rise further following future court hearings. ANL described the court’s decision as “another resounding victory for journalism.”
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