Posted on 10/04/2019 8:26:19 AM PDT by RummyChick
PRINCE Harry is suing the UK tabloid papers of both Rupert Murdoch and their industry rivals Mirror Group Newspapers for allegedly hacking his phone, Byline Investigates can exclusively reveal.
In a major escalation of his war on Fleet Street, the 35-year-old Duke of Sussex filed documents at the High Court in London last Friday, September 27, via his lawyers Clintons LLP alleging both news groups misused his private information for stories.
It raises for the first time the possibility of a serving member of the Royal family entering the witness box in trials against some of the most powerful media organisations in the world.
A legal source told Byline Investigates: “An appearance by the Prince in the witness box would immediately make this an historic moment in British law.
“There are strong matters of principle at stake here for the prince. A lot of work has gone into preparing these cases to the point they can be formally filed.
“His legal team plainly feels there are cases to be answered here.”
The move comes as the Mail on Sunday prepares to defend itself against a separate legal action launched this week by the Prince and his wife Meghan Duchess of Sussex, 38, via a different law firm, Schillings, alleging the misuse of a private family letter.
In addition to Murdoch’s The Sun and defunct News of the World, the Duke is also suing the publishers of The Mirror titles over unlawful newsgathering activities that stretch back to the editorship of controversial former Editor-turned-celebrity Piers Morgan.
Although no formal ‘Particulars of Claim’ are yet publicly available setting out the broad details of the Prince’s complaints, similar claims to have progressed through the courts have focused on hacking and the “blagging” of personal private medical and communications information.
Byline Investigates understands the Prince’s claim is unlikely to proceed to trial until early 2021 at the soonest, and will focus in part on the activities of private detectives commissioned by The Sun, the News of the World and the Mirror titles.
Hitherto, The Sun’s owners have always denied any wrongdoing on behalf of the paper in relation to unlawful newsgathering.
The claim against News Group is likely to make broader allegations than the targeting of Prince Harry and his brother Prince William by the News of The World’s Royal Editor, Clive Goodman and PI Glenn Mulcaire.
The pair were convicted in 2007 for hacking the phone of members of the Royal household.
The cases sparked the phone hacking scandal which has cost Rupert Murdoch an estimated £1bn.
The Mirror has separately set aside £80 million to deal with hundreds of hacking claims that have already been dogging the company for some five years.
More recent hacking claims have levelled serious allegations against The Sun under the editorship of Rebekah Brooks in 2003-2009.
As serving CEO of News UK, Ms Brooks will be directing the legal team at the company on how to deal with Prince Harry’s claim.
The Mirror case will come as a blow to REACH plc, which owns the Mirror titles and the Express, as it has been keen to tell the stock market that the hacking litigation lies in the past.
A legal insider told Byline Investigates: “Piers Morgan has been critical of Harry and Meghan's recourse to law this week against the Mail on Sunday.
“However, most of the Mirror hacking and blagging of Harry and his loved ones, allegedly happened under his watch.’
Morgan was editor of the Daily Mirror from 1995 to 2004, and Editor-in -Chief of the People and Sunday Mirror which are heavily implicated in the industrial scale hacking and blagging that took place in those years.
The insider added: “Morgan might be concerned about this claim as there are also allegations of hacking by his newspaper of Princess Diana before she died, as well as her friends and family after her death, while Morgan's papers were mourning her loss.”
Byline Investigates has asked for comment from Clarence House on behalf of the Prince. We have also sought comment from News UK and Mirror Group Newspapers.
Also,they may be guessing that it is phone hacking since the particulars aren’t available yet.
Uh, the “legal representatives” is, uh, odd. Is that why there are rumors that hildabeast law licence has been restored? LOL! Anyway, I guess hairy and meeguhn don’t like their hypocrisy so publicly displayed?
Dang..for a second I thought it was a hoax. No, they are a lawfirm
Marry a ho, become a tabloid star
I hope Rupert Murdoch, the Daily Mail, and all the Brit press publish every bit of dirt they have been holding back on these two. Scorched earth time.
Please America, take Meghan Markle back - Spectator Magazine
Halfwit is a spoiled brat, petulant, hot head who is wrecking his whole life over a woman who has a known track record of using and discarding people, including her own father who she used to praise to the heavens for being such a great dad. The Duke of Dimwit is going to be shocked when she finally gives him the business.
Here is a more known source for the lawsuit
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7538927/Prince-Harry-launches-legal-action-against-owners-Sun-Daily-Mirror.html
The cases sparked the phone hacking scandal which has cost Rupert Murdoch an estimated £1bn.
Rupert Murdoch, why does that name ring a bell?
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