Prince Harry and The Sun’s publisher’s trial ‘very close’ in settlement negotiations, High Court told
File pic: Reuters
Prince Harry and the publisher of The Sun’s trial is “very close” in negotiations on a potential settlement, the High Court has heard.
The Duke of Sussex and former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson are suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) over allegations of unlawful information-gathering.
The Rupert Murdoch-owned NGN, which also ran the now-defunct News Of The World, denies any unlawful activity took place at The Sun.
The trial had been due to start at the High Court in London at 10.30am today but was delayed twice, before barristers for both sides requested an adjournment until 10am on Wednesday.
The request was refused by Mr Justice Fancourt – who said the two sides had already had “ample time to seek to resolve their differences”.
They could now go to the Court of Appeal in a bid to challenge the judge’s decision.
Requesting the third adjournment, NGN’s barrister Anthony Hudson said both parties “have been involved in very intense negotiations over the last few days and the reality is we are very close”.
He said: “Very unusually, both parties are in complete agreement that this is a very important step.
“The number of times the parties have been in agreement in this litigation are very few and far between.
“Both parties feel they have no choice but to persist in this.”
Mr Hudson added there had been difficulties today due to “time difference issues” in reference to Harry, who lives in California.
David Sherborne, for the duke and Lord Watson, said: “Mr Hudson and I would not be asking for further time if we did not think it stood any prospect of potentially saving a lot of court time.”
This trial is a huge financial risk for Harry
The delay in the start of this trial has shown just how complex the whole process has been to get to this stage.
The stakes so high that negotiations have been taking place right up to the wire and are still ongoing.
Already 1,300 people have settled their cases against News Group Newspapers since 2011, with just Prince Harry and Lord Tom Watson holding out and taking this to trial.
It’s a huge financial risk for both, the costs are potentially huge and that’s why others have accepted out of court payments.
But the duke and Lord Watson want more.
So far, NGN has continued to deny allegations of unlawful information gathering for stories, and when they’ve settled with others, they have not admitted liability.
Without some admission of guilt, as well as financial compensation, it’s hard to see how Harry or Lord Watson will settle. NGN deny all claims being made.
The judge has frowned upon the delays and tried to get the case underway this afternoon, but both legal teams have dug their heels in.
It was Anthony Hudson KC, barrister for NGN, who said they’d been involved in “very intense negotiations over the last few days” adding: “The reality is we are very close”.
What that may mean for the trial we wait to find out tomorrow.
Dismissing their request, the judge said: “I am not satisfied on the basis of what I have been shown so far that the trial should not proceed at this time and will therefore not allow the further adjournment.”
He added: “I’m not going to stand in the way of access to justice if the parties wish to go to the Court of Appeal.”
The trial is due to last 10 weeks and is scheduled to consider specific claims brought by Harry and Lord Watson, as well as “generic” allegations of wrongdoing – all of which NGN has vehemently denied.
