The High Court has thrown out a phone hacking case brought by Prince Harry, dismissing all 97 allegations made against several major newspapers.
In a written judgment, the judge discussed each of the articles in the now-dismissed claims, stating that Prince Harry had failed to prove that the information in one of his articles was obtained by unlawful means.
The article in question was about Prince Harry being named as the godfather to the child of his former nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke. The judge ruled that there was no evidence to suggest that the information was obtained by voicemail interception or any other unlawful act.
Prince Harry's evidence claimed that only a very close circle would have known these matters, and that the Palace press office would not have known because Prince Charles had not yet been notified. However, the judge stated that this evidence did not establish that the information was obtained through voicemail interception, still less that it was obtained by an unlawful act.
The dismissal of the case is a significant victory for the Daily Mail and its journalists, with the judge accepting the honesty of their evidence on how they sourced their stories. Associated Newspapers Ltd has welcomed the judgment, stating that it is an overwhelming victory for a free press generally.
The case had been launched four years ago, with allegations of phone hacking, bugs in people's cars and homes, and illicitly accessing bank accounts. However, no credible evidence was ever presented to support these claims.
Associated Newspapers thanks the judge for his patience and wisdom throughout the case, which has wasted valuable court time and more than £50m in legal costs. The company will look to resolve outstanding issues, including the recovery of the costs incurred while defending themselves against this litigation.
