In a major development, Prince Harry has accepted “substantial damages” from the Sun’s publisher after the media outlet was accused of “unlawful intrusion” into his life. News Group Newspapers (NGN) has apologised for the conduct of its journalists and private investigators between 1996 and 2011. A statement from NGN confirmed “incidents of unlawful activity” were carried out by private investigators. The media outlet also apologised for causing harm to the late Princess Diana’s son through its coverage. Lord Tom Watson also received substantial damages after the media was accused of hacking his phone in 2009.
The outcome of the case remains undisclosed. However, insiders have estimated the legal fees for both parties to be £10m, which the outlet is expected to cover. Prince Harry’s barrister, David Sherborne, requested the delay in the High Court trial before agreeing upon a financial settlement. Harry had claimed that more than 200 articles published by NGN between 1996 and 2011 contained information gathered by illegal means. He wanted the case to go through trial to hold NGN accountable to other victims of the unlawful gathering of private information.
In his victory speech outside the court, Sherborne hailed it as a “monumental victory”, finally holding NGN “to account for its illegal actions and its blatant disregard for the law”. NGN released a statement calling the settlement an end to the litigation and drew a line under the past. Although NGN admitted no illegality, the statement acknowledged that its response to the arrests in 2006 of News of the World staff who hacked royal phones and those of celebrities – and its subsequent actions-were “regrettable”.
While the admission suggests an openness to change, Sherborne accused some NGN executives of “remaining firmly entrenched in senior positions today,” perpetuating “the toxic culture in which they continue to thrive”. This statement alludes to the wider problems of the UK media, which is plagued by accusations of unethical practices. On a decisive day, the verdict may serve as a warning to other media outlets, who will now be more aware of the public and political backlash against any unethical practices.
In conclusion, the court’s verdict brings significant relief to Prince Harry, who has felt he has been hounded by the UK media throughout his life. It has also given some hope to other victims of journalistic intrusion. The apology and settlement of damages may signal a change in tactics from UK media outlets to clean their act or face consequences from established power centres
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
