Sir Simon Hughes, a former justice minister and one of seven claimants in Prince Harry's unsuccessful privacy case against Associated Newspapers, has stated he did not intend to target the publisher.
Hughes's position was conveyed by his legal representative during a court hearing regarding the legal costs of the four-year litigation. Prince Harry, along with Baroness Lawrence, Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, and Sadie Frost, also comprised the group of claimants whose cases were dismissed earlier this month. Associated Newspapers has claimed its costs for defending the action amount to £34 million.
The claimants have described the publisher's costs as "eyewatering." The judge, Mr. Justice Nicklin, is expected to rule next month on the proportionality of the costs to be paid by the claimants and to make a final determination on the total sum at a later date.
Nicholas Bacon KC, representing the seven claimants, relayed a message from Sir Simon Hughes, stating that it was "not part of his case or plan to target ANL, its people or its papers." Bacon added that Hughes "did not publicly ally his case to the other claimants" and emphasized his status at the time as a "responsible senior MP and minister of state."
Antony White KC, representing Associated Newspapers, noted that Sir Simon had accused the publisher of "widespread criminality of the most heinous form" and had not withdrawn these allegations. Mr. Justice Nicklin remarked that there would be "time for reflection for Sir Simon Hughes to review how the case was conducted."