British justice on Tuesday rejected the request of several personalities, including Prince Harry, to personally include Rupert Murdoch in the proceedings they are launching against the editor of the tabloid The Sun, owned by the media magnate, for illegal collection of information.
In this case, the son of King Charles III accuses the publisher NGN of having used private detectives to obtain information about his private life. NGN has rejected these accusations and a trial is scheduled for next January.
In a decision made public on Tuesday, May 21, the judge had to rule on a request from the plaintiffs to integrate new elements into the current procedure. They demanded, in particular, that Rupert Murdoch be personally included among the recipients of the procedure, claiming that he was aware of the Sun’s allegedly illegal activities.
Although he accepted some requests, the judge instead rejected the one directed at the Australian tycoon naturalized in the United States, stating that “he does not see what this adds to the accusations” already made.
“While it may be tempting for (the plaintiffs) to try to accuse the man at the top, this will add nothing to the conclusion that…other senior executives knew and were involved, if that turns out to be the case,” he said. Judge. Timothy Francourt said in his written decision.
Multiple procedure
In this case against NGN, the judge has already dismissed the accusations of hacking of telephone messages invoked by the prince. In April he rejected an appeal from NGN that risked delaying the trial.
Within the framework of this procedure, actor Hugh Grant announced at the end of April that he had reached a financial agreement with the media group, ending the process that affected him. Other plaintiffs include director Guy Ritchie and several former politicians.
Crusade against the tabloids
Prince Harry already had another media group, MGN, publisher of the Daily Mirror, condemned last December for hacking telephone messages. He then signed a financial settlement in February that ended other unlawful information-gathering proceedings against the same publisher.
The Duke of Sussex, who left the United Kingdom in 2020 with his wife Meghan Markle, also launched proceedings against the editor of the Daily Mail.
Source: BFM TV
