Prince Harry's lawyers have been lambasted as the Duke of Sussex lost his court bid to name Rupert Murdoch in his hacking claim.
Lawyers for the Duke of Sussex and others were criticised by a judge for trying "to shoot at 'trophy' targets", as they lost a bid to drag Rupert Murdoch into their hacking trial against the publisher of The Sun.
Justice Timothy Fancourt said they were trying to "inculpate the man at the very top" by pinning knowledge on Murdoch personally.
A trial is scheduled for next January to test claims by Prince Harry and more than 40 others that journalists working for News Group Newspapers (NGN) engaged in alleged unlawful information gathering and invasion of privacy.
Prince Harry failed in his court bid to name Rupert Murdoch
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Earlier this year they asked the High Court for permission to amend their case to add new details, including the names of Murdoch, his son James Murdoch and senior executives at the company.
They claimed the media mogul was personally involved in a cover-up of wrongdoing at NGN that was perpetrated "right at the highest level".
But ruling against them today, Mr Justice Fancourt said: "I consider that there is a desire on the part of those running the litigation on the claimant's side to shoot at 'trophy' targets, whether those are political issues or high-profile individuals.
"This cannot become an end in itself: it only matters to the court so far as it is material and proportionate to the resolution of the individual causes of action. The trial is not an inquiry."
Prince Harry has multiple court cases with the British tabloidsReutersThe High Court judge added that the allegations made against Murdoch added nothing to the case.
The Duke of Sussex was denied a request to extend his claim by including allegations that date back to 1994, when Prince Harry was nine, and to as recently as 2016.
He was additionally refused permission to include the names of 150 private investigators, some of whom had no specific claims made against them.
The judge refused permission for allegations to be newly made against NGN’s Management and Standards Committee and those relating to the targeting of politicians.
Prince Harry has made hacking claims against the publisher of The Sun
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Prince Harry cannot name Rupert Murdoch in his hacking claim
ReutersMr Justice Fancourt criticised the Duke of Sussex's legal team for trying to bring forward too many amendments at too late a stage, in what he described as a "very expensive and time-consuming exercise".
He also criticised NGN for failing to concede enough of the lesser amendments.
The judge allowed the duke to make some changes including "in principle" amending his case to name certain further journalists and "private investigators", and bring allegations of "landline voicemail interception".
GB News has approached David Sherborne, the Duke of Sussex's lawyer for comment.