Prince Harry’s attorneys will start the closing statements on Tuesday in a lawsuit in opposition to the British media firm Mirror Group Newspapers, which he accused of hacking his cellphone greater than a decade in the past.

The lawsuit is a part of a yearslong feud between Harry and the British tabloids, and one among a number of circumstances he has introduced in opposition to newspaper publishers. During this trial, the prince gave proof over two days, changing into the primary distinguished member of the royal household to testify in court in over 130 years.

This week, each David Sherborne, Prince Harry’s lawyer, and Andrew Green, a lawyer for the Mirror Group, will handle the decide, Timothy Fancourt.

It is probably going that the attorneys will talk about Harry’s testimony of their closing remarks, probably addressing the proof he gave and the query of his credibility.

What did Harry’s staff argue?

Harry’s authorized staff detailed what they contemplate the illegal means the corporate used to get non-public details about him for a sequence of articles it revealed between 1996 and 2011. The case is targeted on allegations that all through the early 2000s, the corporate hacked Harry’s cellphone, in addition to these of his brother, William, a girlfriend and a few of his aides. Harry introduced the lawsuit alongside three different claimants.

Harry’s authorized staff argued that the unlawful reporting strategies resulted in invasive articles that harm Harry’s belief in his associates and put a pressure on his relationship along with his then-girlfriend, Chelsy Davy.

What did the Mirror Group argue?

The Mirror Group’s lead lawyer, Andrew Green, mentioned in courtroom that there was no proof Prince Harry was ever hacked. His authorized staff has argued that suspicion of cellphone hacking is just not proof, and that among the articles in query have been revealed earlier than the prince had a cellphone.

He added that by 2009, workers of one other tabloid, The News of the World, owned by Rupert Murdoch, had been sentenced to jail for phone hacking, making it unlikely that the Mirror Group’s journalists would run the chance of doing the identical.

They additionally mentioned Harry had waited too lengthy to sue.

What have been the important thing moments within the trial to date?

During the trial, Harry condemned the British tabloid press and its strategies, asking, “How much more blood will stain their typing fingers before someone can put a stop to this madness?”

He added that the tabloids’ actions affected each space of his life, spurring “bouts of depression and paranoia.”

Harry mentioned the persona that the tabloids created, portraying him because the “thicko,” the “cheat,” the “underage drinker” and the “irresponsible drug taker,” got here to overshadow his life. And he mentioned press intrusion was “the main factor” in his breakup with Ms. Davy.

What occurs subsequent?

The decide’s determination will most certainly be handed down two to a few months after the tip of the trial, mentioned Ahlia Rateb, a clerk to the decide.