The Duke of Sussex leaving the Royal Courts Of Justice, central London, following a hearing over allegations of unlawful information gathering brought against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) by seven people – the Duke of Sussex, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost and Sir Simon Hughes. Picture date: Thursday March 30, 2023. (Press Association via AP Images)
The publisher of the Daily Mail “denied under oath” that its journalists engaged in phone-hacking and other illicit methods of news gathering against Prince Harry and several prominent celebrities who are bringing a case.
The legal battle was launched in October 2022, with the Duke of Sussex joined by others including singer Sir Elton John and actress Elizabeth Hurley, alleging that the Mail titles resorted to illegal tactics spanning up to three decades. The allegations include the covert placement of listening devices in vehicles and residences, eavesdropping on private phone conversations, and obtaining sensitive records through deception.
Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), the corporate entity defending the case, has refuted these claims.
In a statement published by the Press Gazette, parent company DMG Media said: “In papers submitted to the High Court, the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday denied under oath that its journalists had commissioned or obtained information derived from phone hacking, phone tapping, bugging, computer or email hacking or burglary to order.”
The statement continued to say that the accusations are “an affront to the hard-working journalists whose reputations and integrity, as well as those of Associated itself, are wrongly traduced.”
Additional developments in the case have seen around 70 current and former journalists named, including high-profile editors from leading national newspapers.
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