Prince Harry's ongoing legal dispute against U.K. newspaper company Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) is predicted to end favorably for the prince, with a potential for significant damages, according to a legal expert's analysis.
The Duke of Sussex is embroiled in a legal battle in London's High Court against the parent company of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and Sunday People. He accuses the publishing house of publishing stories about him, using information that was allegedly illegally procured.
Though the case continues, Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and now president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, expressed to Us Weekly that there's a good probability of Prince Harry gaining substantial damages from his legal claim against the media outlet.
"Predicting a judge's decision is a tricky business, yet the possibility of a considerable damage award for Prince Harry is feasible, given the egregiousness of the alleged misconduct," Rahmani opined.
The royal's lawsuit against MGN accuses the company of illicitly accessing his voicemail messages from 1996 to 2011 for information. His 55-page written witness statement, unveiled before his first appearance in court, has fortified his stance in the case, the legal expert suggests.
"His statement, presumably prepared in collaboration with his legal counsel, demonstrates the personal impact of this alleged hacking," Rahmani noted. "I envisage a noteworthy award in the prince's favor... Hacking someone's phone for reporting purposes is not only a serious breach of privacy but is also illegal."
On his initial day of testimony, Prince Harry was questioned by MGN's legal representative, Andrew Green, about the authorship of his witness statement.
"Every word in this witness statement is mine, composed after a series of video conferences with my lawyers," Prince Harry declared.
Among the topics discussed was a 2000 Daily Mirror story about a thumb injury he suffered while attending Eton College. Prince Harry maintained that he believes the story was derived from phone hacking and illegal information gathering but was uncertain about whose phone was compromised.
Green countered Prince Harry's speculation, but the prince retorted that he wasn't the author of the controversial article.
To which Green responded, "Indeed, but you are the claimant in this case."
British celebrity and royal commentator Lady Colin Campbell recently voiced her opinion on the royal's court proceedings. She suggested that Prince Harry might have some victories in his case, but doubted the likelihood of a comprehensive win for the duke.
"Unless Mr. Justice Fancourt is utterly unprincipled, which I believe he isn't, Harry's chances of an unequivocal win are slim. He may prevail on some points, but a sweeping victory seems remote, regardless of Mr. Justice Fancourt's views on Harry's political stance," Campbell speculated on GB News.
