A High Court judge has dismissed all allegations made by Prince Harry and six other high-profile figures against Associated Newspapers, the parent company of the Daily Mail, concerning unlawful information gathering. Mr. Justice Nicklin accepted the testimony of Mail staff as "honest, credible, and impressive" in a ruling that veteran royal reporter Richard Kay called "fundamentally flawed" and astonishing for reaching a courtroom.
Kay, Senior Editor-at-Large for the Daily Mail, and Charlotte Griffiths, Editor-at-Large of the Mail on Sunday, spoke for the first time about the legal proceedings. They were among over 40 journalists called to give evidence on the sourcing of stories, some published more than three decades ago. Every accusation of unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking, burglaries, and bugging, was dismissed by the court.
"It should never have been brought," Kay stated, reflecting on the case, which he believes should not have progressed past its initial stages. "It has been a cloud hanging over us all for many years." He added that the case was "fundamentally flawed from the outset" and expressed hope that the claimants would reflect on the ordeal they put themselves through.
Griffiths described the personal impact of the accusations on journalists and their families. "Nobody's getting out the tiny violin," she said, acknowledging the public's perception, but emphasized the strain on marriages, home lives, and wider families. "We might be stiff upper lip about it all, but it has impacted us, and it's dragged on for such a long time." The verdict, she noted, was a significant relief.
In 2022, the claimants had accused numerous reporters of commissioning crimes. The claim of home burglaries was struck out before the trial began. Mr. Justice Nicklin's extensive 436-page ruling noted that Prince Harry had "strayed beyond 'factual evidence'" while testifying.