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Prince Harry's privacy battle heads to trial: News Group Newspapers faces legal showdown!
Prince Harry's legal battle against NGN over privacy invasion proceeds to trial; phone hacking claim dismissed.
Prince Harry's legal fight against the publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World will proceed to trial, according to a recent high court ruling.
The 38-year-old royal has accused News Group Newspapers (NGN) of using journalists and private investigators to unlawfully gather information about him. Seeking damages for the alleged invasion of his privacy, Harry launched his claim against NGN.
NGN had attempted to have the case dismissed in April, arguing that the duke's claim was brought too late, and he should have known about it earlier. However, the court's ruling stated that while Harry could not bring his claim regarding phone hacking, his allegations concerning the use of private investigators would proceed to a trial scheduled for January next year.
In a further setback for Harry, the judge refused to allow him to rely on an alleged "secret agreement" between the royal family and media mogul Rupert Murdoch's senior executives as part of his claim. The court deemed that there was no evidence supporting the existence of such an agreement.
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Harry's lawyers had argued that NGN's challenge was an attempt to undermine the alleged agreement, which the duke was made aware of in 2012. However, NGN refuted the existence of any such agreement and denied any involvement in unlawful activities.
This legal battle marks one of several for the duke, who has been involved in six legal cases at the high court recently. Beyond his disputes with newspaper publishers over privacy issues, Harry has also faced legal challenges against the Home Office concerning his security.
As the trial date approaches, all eyes will be on the high court to witness the outcome of this high-profile case and its potential implications for privacy rights and media practices in the United States.
