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Prince Harry, Elton John face £9.54 million interim cost payment in Mail case
A UK judge ordered the interim payment on an indemnity basis after rejecting the claimants’ failed privacy lawsuit, including allegations tied to phone hacking.
Prince Harry, Elton John and five other high-profile claimants have been ordered to make an interim payment of £9.54 million (about US$13 million) toward the legal costs of Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers, following a ruling on costs in their failed privacy lawsuit.
According to Reuters, the decision by High Court judge Matthew Nicklin was published on Friday and came after the court comprehensively rejected the case last month. The dismissal included the claimants’ allegations that the Mail titles had engaged in widespread unlawful activities, including phone hacking.
Nicklin also ruled that the outstanding amount must be paid on an “indemnity basis”, meaning the losing claimants must cover Associated’s costs without the publisher needing to show they were reasonable and proportionate.
The judge said the way the case was presented was problematic, criticizing that serious allegations rested on what he described as speculative and inferential foundations, dealing another blow to the claimants.