Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, interacted with elementary school students at the Invictus Games 2025 School Programme Launch Event held at Seaforth Armoury on November 18, 2024, in Vancouver, Canada. — AFP file

Prince Harry may face four days of questioning in the witness box by lawyers representing Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) during his lawsuit against the publisher, which is set to go to trial next month, according to London's High Court on Tuesday. The younger son of King Charles is taking legal action against NGN over allegations of unlawful activities by journalists and private investigators working for its publications, the Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, between 1996 and 2011. Last month, Harry's lawyer informed the court that the case would proceed to trial in January alongside another claimant, former Labour Party deputy leader Tom Watson, after approximately 40 other claimants reached settlements.

At the beginning of a hearing on Tuesday to finalize details for the eight-week trial, Anthony Hudson, NGN's lawyer, stated that he would require four days to question the prince regarding the 30 articles he claims were based on illegally obtained information. Hudson also noted that determining when Harry, the Duke of Sussex, became aware that he had a case would necessitate extensive cross-examination, as part of NGN's defense is that the prince filed his lawsuit too late. Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, argued that while his client would welcome four days of testimony against NGN, one and a half days should be sufficient.

The trial will address the specific allegations of the fifth-in-line to the throne and Watson, along with broader accusations of misconduct by NGN staff, including editors and senior figures. NGN has paid out hundreds of millions of pounds to victims of phone hacking and other unlawful information gathering by the News of the World and has settled claims with over 1,300 individuals. However, the company has consistently denied allegations of wrongdoing by staff at the Sun, and no such case has previously gone to trial. "I think one of the reasons why I brought the claim ... is specifically for truth and accountability," Harry stated at the New York Times Dealbook Summit last week. Hudson interpreted these remarks as an indication that Harry aims to turn the trial into a public inquiry.

This will mark Harry's second appearance in the witness box at the High Court, having become the first British royal in 130 years to testify in June 2023 as part of his successful lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers. He received "substantial" damages after the court found that his phones had been hacked with the knowledge of Mirror Group Newspapers' senior editors and executives. In addition to the NGN trial, Harry is also suing Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, for phone hacking and other unlawful activities, alongside singer Elton John and five others. That case is scheduled to go to trial in early 2026.

Source link:   https://www.khaleejtimes.com