The Duke of Sussex and six other high-profile figures are set to face Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail, in a High Court trial beginning January 14. The legal action alleges the media company carried out or commissioned unlawful surveillance activities over several years.
The group bringing the case includes Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence, politician Sir Simon Hughes, and actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley. They claim ANL hired private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, obtained private records through «blagging», and accessed private phone conversations.
ANL «vehemently» denies what it calls «preposterous allegations» and is actively defending the legal action. The publisher has maintained its position since the claim was first filed in October 2022.
Court Proceedings
Mr Justice Nicklin ruled on Thursday that ANL must disclose a number of documents before January 2. The judge also addressed other pre-trial issues ahead of the scheduled start date.
The trial is expected to last nine weeks, signalling an extensive examination of the allegations. The case represents a major legal confrontation between prominent public figures and one of Britain's largest media publishers.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
