Meghan Markle wins privacy claim against UK newspaper
What's the story
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry's wife won her privacy claim against the Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over articles that published extracts of a letter to her father at the High Court in London on Thursday.
"The claimant had a reasonable expectation that the contents of the letter would remain private. The articles interfered with that reasonable expectation," the judge concluded.
Information
She claimed the publishers misused private information
The 39-year-old former actress' legal team sought a summary judgment in the case, which was granted by Justice Mark Warby in her claim for misuse of private information against the publisher of the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline over the personal and private letter.
The judgment
'Interference could have been justified only if it corrected inaccuracies'
He noted that the only tenable justification for any such interference was to correct inaccuracies about the letter, contained in a People magazine article that featured an interview with five friends of Markle.
The judge added, "The inescapable conclusion is that, save to the very limited extent I have identified, the disclosures made were not a necessary or proportionate means of serving that purpose."
Details
Articles carried parts of conversation between Markle and her father
Markle had brought a case in the High Court in England over breach of copyright, infringement of her privacy, and breaches of the Data Protection Act over articles that showed parts of a letter she had written to her 76-year-old father Thomas Markle in August 2018.
Parts of the exchange during a strained relationship were published in the newspaper and online in February 2019.
Details
Justice Warby indicated the need for a further hearing
Last year, the HC ruled that the publishers could include the book Finding Freedom, written about the royals, their relationship, and decision to step away as frontline British royals, as part of their defense, a decision Meghan's legal team had tried to get overturned.
Justice Warby indicated the need for a further hearing in March to decide the next steps in the legal action.
Reaction
Will deliberate over whether to lodge an appeal: ANL spokesman
Meanwhile, a spokesman for ANL said, "We are very surprised by today's summary judgment and disappointed at being denied the chance to have all the evidence heard and tested in open court at a full trial."
"We are carefully considering the judgment's contents and will decide in due course whether to lodge an appeal," the BBC quoted the spokesman as saying.