Prince Harry and six other high-profile figures are back in court for a two-day hearing starting July 29, 2026, to address legal costs after their lawsuit against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) was dismissed.
The hearing at the Senior Courts Costs Office in London will decide whether legal fees are awarded on a standard or indemnity basis, potentially covering up to 90% of the defense's expenses.
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ANL, which denied all allegations of unlawful information-gathering, said its legal costs have exceeded £50 million following an 11-week trial earlier this year.
Lawsuit Dismissed in Full
Justice Nicklin rejected the lawsuit in a 436-page judgment on July 7, finding insufficient evidence to support claims of voicemail interception and deception across 97 articles.
In his ruling, the judge stated that the claimants' case invited the court to conclude that because information was private and ANL could not explain how it was sourced, the articles must have been unlawfully sourced.
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He called this approach impermissible.
Following the decision, ANL editor-in-chief Paul Dacre criticized the litigation as a "trumped-up action" that should never have gone to trial.
Prince Harry and Baroness Doreen Lawrence called the judgment a "complete and obvious whitewash," saying they sought justice and accountability but received neither.
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The current proceedings will also determine interim cost payments and whether any of the seven claimants will pursue an appeal.
