High Court Judgment by Mr Justice Fancourt

Between Duke of Sussex and News Group Newspapers Limited

Statement

A spokesperson for News Group Newspapers [NGN] said:

The High Court has today, in a significant victory for News Group Newspapers (“NGN”), dismissed The Duke of Sussex’s phone hacking claims against both the News of the World and The Sun.

As we reach the tail end of litigation, NGN is drawing a line under disputed matters, some of which date back more than 20 years ago.

In arguing his case, the Duke of Sussex had alleged a “secret agreement” existed between him/Buckingham Palace and NGN which stopped NGN from asserting that the Duke’s claim had been brought too late.

The Judge, Mr Justice Fancourt, found his claims in relation to the alleged “secret agreement” were not plausible or credible.

It is quite clear there was never any such agreement and it is only the Duke who has ever asserted there was.

Mr Justice Fancourt then dismissed the Duke’s phone hacking claims against both the News of the World and The Sun on the grounds that the claim had been brought too late.

This substantially reduces the scope of his legal claim. The exact nature and scope of any trial of the remainder will be the subject of further hearings.