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Prince Harry has failed to bring Rupert Murdoch into legal action over phone hacking claims against News Group Newspapers, part of the media tycoon’s News Corp.
The royal was among the politicians and celebrities seeking to amend their case to include a number of senior executives at Murdoch’s media group, claiming that they knew of illegal practices at the News of the World.
The Duke of Sussex and others are suing NGN, publisher of The Sun and the now defunct News of the World, over allegations of phone hacking and unlawful information gathering.
In a court hearing on Tuesday, the judge rejected amendments to include Murdoch as well as to include allegations that parent company News Corp targeted MPs and other public figures to further its commercial or political aims.
Allegations of unlawful targeting of members of the House of Commons select committee and against journalist Piers Morgan were also not allowed, or amendments to add allegations the Sun had targeted Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
The ruling on Tuesday found that these amendments, among a number of others, were not material or proportionate to the case.
A further attempt to extend new allegations back to 1994 and 1995 to include claims involving Prince Harry’s late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, was also rejected. The existing case has accusations dating back to the mid-1990s.
However, the claimants were successful in securing amendments to add certain NGN journalists and other employees to the case, as well as to include allegations that Prince Harry’s landline phone had also been bugged.
NGN was the publisher of the News of the World when it closed in 2011 after it was revealed that journalists had hacked the voicemail of murdered teenager Milly Dowler.
NGN apologised to victims of voicemail interception by the News of the World in 2011, and has since settled more than 1,000 claims and paid financial damages of more than £1bn. It has never admitted to any claims against The Sun.
A spokesperson for NGN said: “The court in its judgment today has thoroughly vindicated NGN’s position and did not give permission to introduce large and significant portions of the amendments.”
A spokesperson for Prince Harry was not immediately available to provide comment.
