Cost budgets set in Prince Harry’s hacking claim against Daily Mail publisher
In a ruling on Friday following a preliminary hearing in November last year, Mr Justice Nicklin and Senior Master Cook said the costs budgets proposed by the parties were “manifestly excessive” and approved budgets of approximately £4 million for each side.
Prince Harry is one of seven claimants, including Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Sir Elton John, suing Associated Newspapers over allegations of phone-hacking and other unlawful information gathering dating back 30 years.
Associated Newspapers Limited, publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday, filed Defences in all of the claims in 2024 strongly disputing the alleged wrongdoing. At a hearing in November last year, the Court fixed the trial for nine weeks, starting on 14 January 2026.
In November 2023 Nicklin J rejected an application by Associated Newspapers for summary judgment of the claims on grounds of limitation but Nicklin J held that Associated Newspapers had failed to deliver a “knockout blow” to any of the claims and that the action should be tried.
Sarah Palin and Claire Overman, instructed by Baker McKenzie, are junior counsel for Associated Newspapers Limited.
For further details see
https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/sussex-lawrence-and-others-v-associated-newspapers/
“Judges cap legal costs in Prince Harry dispute with Daily Mail publisher” Financial Times, 25 January 2026
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14323493/Prince-Harrys-Mail-excessive-judges-rule.html
