Sun publisher loses bid to push back full trial of legal challenges

By Tom Pilgrim, PA

The publisher of The Sun has lost a bid to push back a potential full Uk High Court trial of unlawful information gathering claims brought by the UK's Prince Harry and others.

Harry, 39, alleges he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for News Group Newspapers (NGN).

He is among a number of people to bring cases against the publisher, with a full trial of some of the claims, which could include the duke, due to take place in January next year.

At a hearing earlier this week, NGN asked a judge to instead hold a narrower-in-scope preliminary trial that month to decide whether the cases against it have been brought too late and outside a legal time limit.

The publisher has previously denied unlawful activity took place at The Sun.

In a ruling on Friday, Mr Justice Fancourt dismissed NGN’s request.

The judge said there was a “plainly considerable risk” of a preliminary trial “increasing costs overall and delaying” a full trial by up to two years.

“That is unsatisfactory,” he said.

At a hearing on Wednesday, lawyers for NGN said the court should first determine whether those bringing cases could have known they had a “worthwhile” claim six years before they issued theirs.

A trial on this issue would not have determined the full details of the allegations NGN faces, and could have resulted in findings that some claims are “time-barred” and therefore dismissed.

NGN’s lawyers argued this approach was the “most efficient” way of dealing with cases and could “promote” settlements, but the legal team for Harry and others said it would be “highly disruptive and prejudicial” and cause “substantial delay”.