Prince Harry and five other claimants have filed applications with the Court of Appeal seeking permission to challenge their dismissal in a High Court hacking case against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail. The claimants, which also include Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John, model Elizabeth Hurley, actress Sadie Frost, and Sir Elton’s husband David Furnish, “respectfully disagree” with the High Court's rulings, according to their solicitor Callum Galbraith.
Earlier this year, Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed all 97 allegations of hacking, bugging, and blagging brought by the claimants. The judge also ordered them to pay Associated Newspapers' legal costs on an 'indemnity' basis, a decision that could amount to as much as £34 million, citing that the claimants' case was "unreasonable to a high degree."
Mr Galbraith stated that the group believes the rulings were "legally and factually flawed." The grounds for the current appeal applications are not yet known, and the claimants have not yet formally served the papers on Associated Newspapers.
The Court of Appeal has confirmed it received the applications. The claimants will require permission from this higher court before their actual appeal can be heard. Sir Simon Hughes, a seventh original claimant, is reportedly not part of this group seeking to appeal.
In his July 7 judgment, Mr Justice Nicklin credited the testimony of Mail journalists who presented evidence regarding their sourcing methods. The claimants' reaction to the initial defeat included accusations that the findings were a "complete and obvious whitewash."