Prince Harry Accused of Withholding Evidence in Lawsuit Against Murdoch's Newspaper Empire

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has been accused of being "dragged kicking and screaming" to disclose emails and conduct searches for relevant material in his lawsuit against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the UK newspaper arm of Rupert Murdoch's media empire. The accusation was made by NGN's lawyer, Anthony Hudson, in a High Court hearing on Thursday.

The lawsuit, which involves over 40 claimants, including Prince Harry, alleges unlawful activities by journalists and private investigators working for The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s. NGN has paid out hundreds of millions of pounds to victims of phone-hacking by News of the World and settled over 1,300 lawsuits, but has consistently denied any wrongdoing by staff at The Sun.

Ahead of the trial, scheduled to begin in January 2024, NGN's legal team has sought an order to force Prince Harry to disclose any relevant information he may possess, or that may be held by his former lawyers or the royal household, which would be relevant to what he knew about alleged unlawful behavior before the end of 2013. If Prince Harry knew he had a potential claim against NGN before that date, the case could be dismissed on the grounds it was filed too late.

Hudson accused Prince Harry's team of "obfuscation" and creating an "obstacle course" on the issue, claiming that they had to "drag" the prince to disclose relevant emails. He expressed concern that correspondence between Prince Harry and J.R. Moehringer, the ghostwriter of his memoir "Spare", over messaging app Signal had all been wiped, and that there was no excuse for not searching text or WhatsApp messages between them.

Prince Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, responded by accusing Hudson of using language to "get a headline" and said NGN's legal team were guilty of simply carrying out a fishing expedition. He argued that the suggestion Prince Harry was withholding or destroying material was the "height of hypocrisy", given that NGN had deliberately deleted millions of emails as part of a way to hide incriminating evidence.

Why it Matters : This lawsuit has significant implications for the media industry and the royal family. If Prince Harry's claims are successful, it could lead to a major overhaul of the way journalists and private investigators operate in the UK. Furthermore, the lawsuit has sparked a wider debate about the accountability of the media and the need for greater transparency and regulation.

Judge Timothy Fancourt is expected to give his judgment on NGN's application later on Thursday. The outcome of this lawsuit will be closely watched, not only by the media and the royal family but also by the public, who are eager to see justice served.

Key Takeaways :

• Prince Harry is accused of withholding evidence in his lawsuit against News Group Newspapers (NGN).
• NGN's lawyer claims Harry's team was reluctant to disclose relevant emails and conduct searches.
• The lawsuit, involving over 40 claimants, alleges unlawful activities by journalists and private investigators from the mid-1990s to mid-2010s.
• NGN has paid hundreds of millions to phone-hacking victims but denies wrongdoing by staff at The Sun.
• The lawsuit's outcome could significantly impact the media industry and the royal family, potentially leading to major operational changes for journalists and private investigators in the UK.