[imagesource: Getty/Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool]

Prince Harry, Sir Elton John, and other notable British celebs are taking one of the UK’s biggest publishers to court.

The coterie is going for the publisher of The Daily Mail’s jugular, alleging scandalous breaches of privacy, such as phone tapping, car burglaries, and bugging their homes.

John’s husband David Furnish, actress Elizabeth Hurley, fashion designer Sadie Frost, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence are also listed as the plaintiffs filing cases against Associated Newspapers Ltd.

Besides The Daily Mail, the company also publishes The Mail on Sunday and The Mail Online.

Hamlins LLP, the law firm representing Prince Harry and Frost, said in a press release that those taking action had been the victims of “abhorrent criminal activity”. The BBC covered some of Hamlins’ allegations:

• “The hiring of private investigators to secretly place listening devices inside people’s cars and homes
• “The commissioning of individuals to surreptitiously listen into and record people’s live, private telephone calls whilst they were taking place
• “The payment of police officials, with corrupt links to private investigators, for inside, sensitive information
• “The impersonation of individuals to obtain medical information from private hospitals, clinics, and treatment centres by deception
• “The accessing of bank accounts, credit histories and financial transactions through illicit means and manipulation”

In a statement to The Daily Beast, the Mail’s publisher, Associated Newspapers, denied all claims:

“We utterly and unambiguously refute these preposterous smears which appear to be nothing more than a pre-planned and orchestrated attempt to drag the Mail titles into the phone hacking scandal concerning articles up to 30 years old.

“These unsubstantiated and highly defamatory claims – based on no credible evidence – appear to be simply a fishing expedition by claimants and their lawyers, some of whom have already pursued cases elsewhere.”

Hamlins, however, suggests that this is merely the “tip of the iceberg” and wants to ensure that journalists are held fully accountable for their actions.

Many of those accused of “reprehensible covert acts” hold senior positions today.

Image: Kathy deWitt / Alamy Stock Photo

Prince Harry, notably the only British royal involved in the suit, is basically fighting against the age-old “cosy” connection between the British Royal Family and the British press:

“Harry and Meghan have frequently made it clear that they despised, and indeed almost considered corrupt, the sometimes cozy relationship between the palace and the British tabloid media. The palace were never willing to accede to Harry’s demands to blow that relationship up, so this feels like Harry doing it on his own,” a former Mail staffer told The Daily Beast.

Don’t forget that Charles recently hired a former senior editor at The Daily Mail as his communications chief. This is a shot right at the heart of the relationship between the palace and the media.”

Baroness Doreen Lawrence being included in this lawsuit is interesting. The Daily Mail once helped put her son’s killers behind bars after they took his life in 1997 in a racist attack:

Image: Daily Mail

Jonathan Coad, a media lawyer who has previously been involved in legal action against Associated Newspapers, notes how serious and massive this lawsuit is.

Hopefully, some senior figures will be held to account, he said.

[sources:bbc&dailybeast]