Prince Harry's legal battle takes major U-turn as duke's claims of 'bugging' are thrown out
Prince Harry suffers heavy blow as Duke of Sussex's 'bugging' claims are thrown out by judge
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Prince Harry's legal battle has taken a major U-turn as the Duke of Sussex's "bugging" claims have been thrown out by a judge.
The Duke of Sussex's claims that "bugging" and "tracking" devices were planted by The Sun to monitor him have been thrown out by a High Court judge.
Mr Justice Fancourt said Harry had provided "no particulars whatsoever" to back up the assertions in his long-running claim against the publication.
The Duke of Sussex is suing the publisher of The Sun, along with about 40 other claimants, alleging their personal information was hacked or unlawfully obtained to get stories.
Prince Harry suffers heavy blow as Duke of Sussex's 'bugging' claims are thrown out by judgeGettyA trial is due to take place in January, but on Friday in a preliminary ruling, the judge refused Harry permission to include certain allegations in his case.
The duke had already withdrawn a claim about his former girlfriend Chelsy Davy's car being bugged.
The latest version of Harry's "particulars of claim", a legal document setting out details of the allegations he is making, contained only "generalised" accusations about bugging, Mr Justice Fancourt said.
In a written judgement, he said: "No particulars are provided about bugging, and a previous specific allegation in relation to Chelsy Davy's car has been withdrawn.
A Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of the Duke of Sussex (left) with his counsel David Sherborne (right) giving evidence at the Rolls Buildings in central London, with Mr Justice Fancourt (centre) looking on
PA
"Permission is refused for the allegations of planting bugs in rooms and residences and bugs or tracking devices on cars, as no particulars whatsoever of such allegations have been provided."
The judge also refused Harry permission to include the words "and/or the use of listening and tracking devices" in his claim, for the reason that the duke had provided "no particulars of these allegations".
It comes after Mr Justice Fancourt threw out Harry's claims of phone hacking last year because the duke had waited too long before starting his legal case.
Harry had protested that a Buckingham Palace "secret agreement" had prevented him from bringing his case any sooner.
A High Court judge has criticised legal action involving Prince Harry and The Sun's publisher
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Mr Justice Fancourt ruled that Harry had provided 'no particulars whatsoever' to back up the assertions in his long-running claim against the publication
PABut the judge ruled that such a deal was "implausible", and rejected Harry's bid to use it as the reason for his late claim.
The duke, 40, who started the case in 2019, can proceed to the trial on the basis of other types of unlawful information gathering which he alleges.
On Thursday, the judge described the long-running case as resembling a campaign between "two obdurate but well-resourced armies" that is taking up "more than an appropriate" amount of court time.