Overview
- The claimant group includes Elton John, David Furnish, Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost, former MP Simon Hughes, and campaigner Doreen Lawrence.
- Plaintiffs allege that between 1993 and 2011 the publisher used voicemail interception, landline taps, corrupt police payments, fraudulent access to medical records, planted listening devices, and private detectives.
- Associated Newspapers denies wrongdoing, branding the allegations grotesque or absurd and an affront to its journalists.
- Key early issues include the six-year time limit for privacy claims and the credibility of some private investigators, with reports of paid witnesses and subsequent retractions.
- Harry is expected at the opening and scheduled to testify on Thursday, following a 2023 court win over Mirror Group and a 2025 settlement with the Sun reported at about £10 million.