Prince Harry, Sir Elton John, and five other claimants have been ordered to pay more than £9.5 million to the publisher of the Daily Mail, marking the first round of legal costs following their failed High Court case.
Mr Justice Nicklin ruled on August 21 that the group must pay £9,544,355 by August 28 as an initial contribution to Associated Newspapers Limited's (ANL) costs. The ruling came after a two-day costs hearing, with further hearings scheduled to determine the total sum owed.
Background of the Failed Privacy Case
The high-profile figures, including Baroness Doreen Lawrence, David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Liz Hurley, and Sir Simon Hughes, had sued ANL over allegations of unlawful information-gathering. The publisher, which also owns the Mail on Sunday, strongly denied the claims, which were heard during an 11-week trial in London earlier this year.
Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed all the cases in a ruling on July 7. During the costs hearing, the court was told ANL's total costs exceeded £34 million.
Court's Ruling on Costs
In his judgment, Mr Justice Nicklin stated: "The claimants and their advisers have been on notice, since the hearing, that this would be the date for payment on account." He also ruled that ANL's costs should be determined on an indemnity basis, which is more favourable to the publisher in terms of the amount it can recover, aside from where orders had already been made.
ANL had sought more than £9.9 million as an interim payment, while lawyers for the claimants argued the interim payment should be just over £7.9 million. The judge's decision of £9,544,355 falls between these two figures.
Next Steps and Related News
The judgment follows Wednesday's announcement that the Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, will be returning to the UK for an "extended period." The total amount the claimants must ultimately pay to ANL will be determined in further hearings, with the interim payment serving as an initial contribution toward the publisher's legal costs.
