Prince Harry’s legal battle has taken an unexpected turn after the presiding judge stepped down from the case.
On Thursday, it was confirmed that Senior Costs Judge Jason Rowley, who is in charge of determining the legal costs of the Duke of Sussex's case against the Daily Mirror announced his exit from the hearing.
The case was in the court to investigate the legal cost of Prince Harry’s would be subjected to Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN)
It all came after Prince Harry's victory against the media group in court back in December 2023.
At the start of the hearing, Judge Rowley explained: "Having seen the documents rather more fully… I have taken the view that I need to recuse myself from this case. It is not a decision I have taken lightly."
He added, "I am concerned that I may have knowledge of how this is done that is not before the parties. It seems to me obvious that the risk is there."
Judge Rowley stated that the issue was "not a point that has been raised by the parties".
The case will continue under a different judge, with proceedings scheduled to reconvene soon.
To note, Prince Harry filed the lawsuit against MGM for damages, claiming journalists at its titles – the Daily and Sunday Mirror and Sunday People – were linked to methods including phone hacking, blagging or gaining information by deception, and use of private investigators for unlawful activities.
The allegations were said to span a period beginning in 1991 and continuing through at least 2011.
