Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

UK paper must publish front page statement of Meghan's privacy win: judge

Published 03/05/2021, 12:49 PM
Updated 03/05/2021, 01:05 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Britain's Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, visits the University of Johannesburg

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Britain's Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, visits the University of Johannesburg

LONDON (Reuters) - British newspaper the Mail on Sunday must publish a front-page statement to say Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, had won a privacy case against it, according to a ruling handed down by a London High Court judge on Friday.

Last month, judge Mark Warby ruled the tabloid had clearly breached the royal's privacy and infringed her copyright by publishing parts of a five-page letter she wrote to her father, Thomas Markle, who she fell out with around the time of her 2018 wedding to Queen Elizabeth's grandson, Prince Harry.

As a consequence of that ruling, Warby has ordered that the newspaper must run a notice on its front page and a statement about the outcome of the case in its inside pages.

He also ruled that MailOnline must also publish the notice of Meghan's victory for a week.

"In my judgment these are measured incursions into the defendant's freedom to decide what it publishes and does not publish, that are justified in pursuit of the legitimate aim I have identified, and proportionate to that aim," Warby said.

"They will involve little if any additional expense, and certainly nothing approaching the scale of the expense that has been lavished on this litigation."

Last week, Warby awarded 450,000 pounds ($630,000) as a provisional payment towards Meghan's legal costs, with her legal team seeking an overall amount of more than 1.5 million pounds

At that hearing, Warby refused the paper permission to appeal his decision, but said it could approach the Court of Appeal directly, saying he saw "no real prospect" it would reach a different conclusion.

"We will be applying to the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal, including in relation to aspects of the Judgment today," the Mail on Sunday said in statement following Friday's ruling.

Warby criticised the paper for failing to remove the offending articles from its website after his ruling.

"This cannot be accidental, or an oversight. In the absence of any explanation, I am tempted to infer that it is a form of defiance," he said.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Britain's Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, visits the University of Johannesburg

Meghan and Harry have been headline news in Britain in the last week ahead of the broadcast of an interview they gave to chat show host Oprah Winfrey which is due to be broadcast on U.S. television on Sunday.

Latest comments

Better for Meghan and Henry to leave then risk the same fate as Dianne at the hands of the royal family.
Great victory for Meghan and Harry. This British barbaric history of a ruling family slaps the face of s true democracy and only reinforces America's Revolution against English doctrine years ago.
No one cares! This B is a shame of the royal family
Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.