An ex-federal prosecutor has weighed in on Prince Harry's current legal battle with Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), positing that the Duke of Sussex stands a solid chance of securing a significant win. This stems from his lawsuit against MGN over alleged unlawful access to his phone.
Neama Rahmani spoke to US Weekly, highlighting the strength of Prince Harry's case, brought to life by his comprehensive 55-page written deposition. Rahmani remarked, "The preparation of such an extensive statement, likely with his legal team's support, clearly illustrates the personal impact and extent of the alleged invasion."
Rahmani, now the head of West Coast Trial Lawyers, acknowledged that a judge's decision is unpredictable. Yet, given the gravity of the accusations against MGN, she anticipates Harry being granted substantial damages. Rahmani said, "The alleged actions cross the boundaries of acceptable reporting. Hacking into someone's phone is unequivocally unlawful."
On Tuesday, June 6, following the release of his testimony, Prince Harry faced the scrutiny of the defendant's counsel, Andrew Green KC, in the High Court of London. Despite missing the initial hearing day on Monday, June 5, his lawyer David Sherborne clarified that the delay was due to a late flight from California following the celebrations of his daughter, Princess Lilibet Diana's, second birthday with his wife Meghan Markle and their son Prince Archie.
Prince Harry initiated a civil lawsuit against MGN, with the outcome of the case resting solely with the presiding judge, Honourable Justice Fancourt. His allegations against MGN and its journalists, including those from the Daily Mirror, involve illicit information gathering, such as phone hacking, impersonation, and employing private investigators. His testimony incorporated 30 stories published between 1996 and 2011, which he claims contain illicitly-acquired information, largely involving intercepted personal communications.
In court, the Duke related instances of disappearing new voicemail notifications on his phone, hinting at unauthorized access. "My understanding of phone hacking methods now leads me to believe that my voicemails and those of my associates were compromised," he testified.
In his allegations, Prince Harry singled out Piers Morgan, the former Daily Mirror editor, accusing him of perpetrating personal attacks and intimidation due to the lawsuit. Morgan, a longstanding critic of Harry and Meghan, however, refutes all claims of phone hacking. Responding sarcastically to queries about Harry's testimony, Morgan said, "I wish him luck with his privacy campaign and I look forward to reading it in his next book."
Following the cross-examination from June 6-7, Prince Harry has returned to California. The ongoing trial, which began in May, is anticipated to span six to seven weeks.
