London judge rejects Prince Harry's bid to add allegations against Rupert Murdoch in tabloid lawsuit
A London judge says Prince Harry can't expand his privacy lawsuit against The Sun tabloid's publisher to include allegations that Rupert Murdoch and some other executives were part of an effort to conceal and destroy evidence of unlawful information gathering
LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry can't expand his privacy lawsuit against The Sun tabloid publisher to include allegations that Rupert Murdoch and some other executives were part of an effort to conceal and destroy evidence of unlawful information gathering, a London judge ruled Tuesday.
The decision by Judge Timothy Fancourt's in the High Court was a mixed ruling for the Duke of Sussex in one of his three major invasion of privacy lawsuits he has brought in his ongoing battles against British tabloids.
Fancourt rejected several of Harry's proposed amendments, but he also allowed the prince to add allegations against other journalists and private investigators that he claims used unlawful means to snoop on him for scoops.
But Fancourt said allegations that Murdoch “turned a blind eye” to wrongdoing added nothing meaningful to claims made against News Group Newspapers, or NGN. The judge said those claims already include “trusted lieutenants,” such as Murdoch's younger son, James Murdoch, and Rebekah Brooks, who was editor at News of the World and The Sun.
