Arabic version: مجموعة الأمير هاري تسعى لاستئناف حكم بشأن الخصوصية

According to BBC News, Prince Harry and five other high-profile claimants have applied to the Court of Appeal for permission to challenge a High Court decision dismissing their privacy claims against Associated Newspapers Limited, publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

The group includes singer Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, actress Elizabeth Hurley, actress Sadie Frost and political campaigner Baroness Lawrence. Their joint spokesperson said the planned appeal concerns both Mr Justice Nicklin’s dismissal of the claims and a later indemnity costs order. The spokesperson said the claimants considered the decisions “legally and factually flawed”.

The case followed an 11-week London trial in which the claimants alleged unlawful information gathering. Associated Newspapers Limited strongly denied the allegations. In July, Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed all of the claims, ruling that they had not been proved. Prince Harry gave evidence in person and argued that details in 14 articles about him showed journalists had been listening to phone calls, but the judge found he had failed to establish that allegation.

In August, the judge ruled that the claimants should pay costs exceeding the level agreed before trial, describing the case as a rare one. He ordered an initial payment of £9.54m while the final amount was calculated. The group faced joint legal costs of up to £34.5m. The publisher had described the July judgment as an “overwhelming victory for the Daily Mail and its journalists”.

The group’s statement did not refer to Liberal Democrat politician Sir Simon Hughes, who was also part of the action. The BBC said it had contacted him to ask whether he would join the appeal. After the costs decision, Sir Simon said he was disappointed and would consider whether to appeal either or both judgments.