Prince Harry faced a legal setback yesterday as a High Court judge ordered his legal team to cut down witness statements from high-profile figures, including former prime minister Gordon Brown and ex-Commons Speaker John Bercow.
The ruling comes less than two weeks before a major eight-week trial is set to begin at the High Court between the Duke of Sussex and News Group Newspapers.
Mr Justice Fancourt determined that many of the witness statements showed “either a lack of proper understanding of the court rules or indifference to them.”
The judge ordered the reduction of statements from ten witnesses after finding they contained commentary rather than relevant evidence, which breaches courtroom rules allowing only factual evidence directly relevant to a case.
Prince Harry faced a legal setback yesterday as a High Court judge ordered his legal team to cut down witness statements from high-profile figures, including former prime minister Gordon Brown and ex-Commons Speaker John Bercow.
Getty
“It appears to me that some of the witnesses wished to express their strong opinions about the way that they were treated by the [newspaper group], or pass comment,” Mr Justice Fancourt said in his written ruling.
The judge noted that Harry’s legal team had already acknowledged some witness testimony would not be relied upon, with parts being “plainly not evidence that could be given at trial.”
Among those whose statements require trimming are former Liberal Democrat ministers Sir Vince Cable and Chris Huhne.
At a pre-trial hearing last month, News Group Newspapers’ barrister Anthony Hudson KC accused Prince Harry’s side of attempting to turn the trial into “some form of public inquiry.”
At a pre-trial hearing last month, News Group Newspapers’ barrister Anthony Hudson KC accused Prince Harry’s side of attempting to turn the trial into “some form of public inquiry.”
Getty
David Sherborne, representing the duke and Lord Watson, dismissed this characterisation, telling the judge that such claims “do not help your lordship.”
Prince Harry is expected to fly to the UK in the coming weeks to face up to four days of cross-examination in the witness box by the newspaper group’s barrister.
This will mark the duke’s second courtroom appearance, following his 2023 testimony before the same judge in a successful case against Mirror Group Newspapers over phone hacking.
The current case sees Harry and former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson suing News Group Newspapers over alleged unlawful information-gathering and invasion of privacy.
A string of high-profile witnesses had been lined up to give evidence on their behalf before the judge’s intervention on witness statements.
The duke will be questioned about his claims that News Group Newspapers publications used unlawful techniques to gather information about him.
Getty
In the upcoming trial, Prince Harry alleges breaches of his privacy over at least 30 articles written about him, dating back to 1998 when he was accepted to Eton.
The duke will be questioned about his claims that News Group Newspapers publications used unlawful techniques to gather information about him.
News Group Newspapers denies all wrongdoing. The trial is scheduled to begin on January 20.
The case has already seen settlements from 39 other claimants, including actor Hugh Grant, who had initially joined Harry in the managed group action.
This leaves Prince Harry and Lord Tom Watson as the only remaining claimants pursuing legal action against News Group Newspapers.
