LONDON – LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry cannot expand his privacy case against the publisher of The Sun tabloid to include allegations that Rupert Murdoch and some other executives were part of an effort to hide and destroy evidence of illegal intelligence gathering, it has ruled. a London judge on Tuesday.
Judge Timothy Fancourt’s ruling in the High Court was a mixed ruling for the Duke of Sussex in one of his three major invasion of privacy lawsuits that he has brought in his ongoing battles against the British tabloids.
Fancourt rejected several of Harry’s proposed amendments, but also allowed the prince to add charges against other journalists and private investigators who he claims used illegal means to snoop on him for information.
But Fancourt said allegations that Murdoch “turned a blind eye” to irregularities did not add anything significant to the allegations made against News Group Newspapers, or NGN. The judge said these allegations already include “trusted lieutenants” such as Murdoch’s youngest son, James Murdoch, and Rebekah Brooks, who was editor of the News of the World and The Sun.
The judge said some of Harry’s efforts to blame other executives were aimed at promoting a political agenda.
“There is a desire on the part of those directing litigation on the plaintiffs’ side to shoot at ‘trophy’ targets, be they political issues or high-profile individuals,” Fancourt wrote. “As tempting as it will undoubtedly be for the plaintiffs’ team to try to blame the man at the top, this will add nothing to the finding that Ms. Brooks and Mr. James Murdoch or other senior executives knew and were involved, if that is the case,” Fancourt wrote.
Brooks is CEO of News UK, a division of News Corp. which controls The Sun and The Times, among other publications. James Murdoch has resigned from News Corp. in 2020.
Rupert Murdoch, 93, was executive chairman of News Corp. and director of its subsidiary, News International, now News UK, which was the parent company of NGN when News of the World went bankrupt. Murdoch stepped down last fall as leader of the parent company of Fox News and its News Corp.
Both sides claimed victory in the ruling ahead of a trial scheduled for early next year, but Fancourt said it was a split victory, with the defense gaining the upper hand on the issues discussed.
The News Group said it welcomed the decision.
The company issued an unreserved apology in 2011 to victims of voicemail interception by the News of the World, which closed its doors following a wiretapping scandal. NGN said it resolved 1,300 complaints relating to its newspapers, although The Sun never accepted responsibility.
The three-day hearing in March included complaints against NGN from others, including actor Hugh Grant, who accused The Sun of tapping his phone, bugging his car and breaking into his home to spy on him.
Grant has since said he reluctantly agreed to accept “a huge sum of money” to settle his lawsuit.
Grant said he had to make a deal because of court policy that could have faced him with a huge legal bill even if he prevailed at trial. A civil court rule designed to prevent courtroom congestion would have required Grant to pay legal fees to both sides if he won at trial but received less than the settlement offer.
Lawyer David Sherborne suggested that Harry may have to settle for the same reason.
Harry has a similar case pending against the owner of the Daily Mail.
Last year he won his first case to trial when Fancourt discovered that phone hacking was “widespread and habitual” at Mirror Group Newspapers. In addition to a court ruling, he resolved the remaining allegations which included his legal fees.
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