Lawrence & Ors v Associated: four-day hearing begins

The hearing of interim applications by Associated News Limited against seven claimants bringing misuse of private information actions against the publisher began today at the Royal Courts of Justice.

The seven claimants are: Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon OBE; Elizabeth Hurley; Sir Elton John CH CBE; David Furnish; Sir Simon Hughes; Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex; and Sadie Frost Law.

Associated are seeking to have parts of the Claimants’ Particulars of Claim struck out on the grounds that they are (absent Ministerial permission) in breach of orders made and undertakings given during the Leveson Inquiry, and are also seeking summary judgment on the whole of the claims on the basis that the actions are time-barred.

The hearing is listed for four days, before Mr Justice Nicklin.

5RB’s David Sherborne, Julian Santos, Ben Hamer and Luke Browne appear for the Claimants, instructed by Hamlins LLP, gunnercooke and Thomson Heath & Associates.