Prince Harry’s Legal Battle: Blow for Lawyers as Judge Rejects Late Evidence

In a significant setback for Prince Harry's legal team, the judge overseeing the case has refused to admit late evidence submitted by his lawyers.

The evidence in question is a letter from one of the journalists involved in writing an article that Prince Harry claims was based on unlawful information activity.

The letter allegedly contains direct evidence regarding the origin of the information used in the article, specifically relating to voice note interception post-2006 and involving the Duke of Sussex.

Prince Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, argued that the letter is crucial to determining whether Prince Harry was a victim of unlawful information activity.

However, the judge questioned why this evidence was being brought forward at such a late stage, after the conclusion of the presentation of evidence last week.

Sherborne maintained that the evidence was highly relevant and could aid the judge in reaching a decision.

The judge pressed Sherborne on whether he intended to bring the journalist forward as a witness, to which Sherborne clarified that he only sought to submit the letter itself.

The judge expressed skepticism about the timing of the application, emphasizing the need to impose limits on the submission of evidence.

He posed a hypothetical scenario, asking what would happen if another letter were submitted on Monday.

Andrew Green Casey, representing Mirror Group newspapers, concurred with the judge's position, arguing that the evidence had been introduced too late and that the content of the letter lacked credibility.

Sherborne urged the judge to read the letter before making a determination on its admissibility for the sake of open justice.

In response, Green accused Sherborne of attempting to introduce evidence through the back door and cautioned the judge about the irreversible impact of reading the letter.

Sherborne contended that the judge's experience would enable him to assess the letter's relevance before deciding on its admissibility.

However, the judge firmly rejected the application, citing concerns about fairness to the defendants and the potential inability to question the journalist regarding the letter's contents.

He ruled that the letter, submitted ten days after the conclusion of evidence, would not be admitted or read.

Meanwhile, Andrew Green Casey is currently presenting his closing arguments on behalf of Mirror Group newspapers.

Later in the afternoon, David Sherborne will have an opportunity to present his final closing arguments on behalf of Prince Harry and the other high-profile claimants.

The trial is expected to conclude today, with the judge reserving his final ruling for a later date.

For further updates on this case, please visit www.fema.gov.