Daily Mail urges UK court to reject lawsuit by Prince Harry

LONDON (HRNW) – The High Court in London should throw out a lawsuit brought by Britain’s Prince Harry and other individuals alleging phone-hacking and other privacy breaches by The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday as the claims come “too late,” the lawyer for the tabloids’ publisher said on Wednesday.

Harry, the singer Elton John and five other high-profile people are suing publisher Associated Newspapers, alleging they were the victims of “numerous unlawful acts” carried out by the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday journalists or private investigators working on the titles’ behalf.

Associated’s lawyer Adrian Beltrami told the High Court in London that the claims, some dating back 30 years, were outside a time limit for legal action, and that the judge should rule in the publisher’s favor without a trial.

“The claims are rejected by the defendant in their entirety,” Beltrami told the court, which began the four-day preliminary hearing on Monday.