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British actor Hugh Grant has called for a new criminal investigation into the owners of The Sun newspaper over claims of illegal activity. The call came after the paper’s publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN), apologised and agreed to pay “substantial damages” to Prince Harry in a privacy claim over allegations The Sun intruded into his private life between 1996 and 2011. Private investigators were used to carry out the alleged illegal activity. Lord Tom Watson, former deputy leader of the Labour Party, who also reached a settlement with NGN on the same day, is expected to hand a dossier to the police.
Grant, who has also settled a privacy claim with NGN, argued that the settlements showed a civil case was inappropriate for revealing the truth of what happened. Instead, he called for a criminal investigation to find out more about “unlawful activity” at the newspaper, adding that NGN has “gamed” the civil courts to silence complainants, spending over £1bn to prevent proper judicial scrutiny.
The actor claimed a criminal investigation was needed to expose the fact that individuals who worked at the paper during the period in question still occupy “positions of great power”. Rebekah Brooks, the CEO of News UK, was editor of The Sun at the time of the alleged intrusions. During her time as editor, private investigators were reportedly involved in the illegal activity for which NGN recently apologised.
Grant also argued that the government should launch an inquiry into press standards in light of the Duke of Sussex’s case, a “part two” of the Leveson Inquiry. The inquiry was initially launched in 2012 following the phone hacking scandal and was intended to examine the ethical practices of the press. However, Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, ruled this out, stating that the inquiry was “no longer fit for purpose
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