Hugh Grant settles privacy case against Sun publisher
Grant's most well-known works are movies like Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, and Paddington 2.
Hugh Grant, the famous actor, has resolved a dispute over his privacy with the Sun newspaper publisher after acknowledging that he could have been charged approximately £10 million even in the event of winning.
The celebrity took legal action against News Group Newspapers (NGN) for allegations that their reporters hired private detectives to intercept his phone calls and rob his home.
According to his statement, he was unwilling to acknowledge the massive amount of money that had been proposed to settle the matter. Further, he believed that a trial would be quite costly.
NGN refuted the allegations made against it.
The establishment declared that they arrived at a resolution outside the court with no acknowledgement of wrongdoing. They affirmed that it was more beneficial for both sides to avoid an expensive trial.
Grant made a statement following an unforeseen decision at a preliminary hearing on Wednesday. He explained that further pursuing the case could result in him being responsible for paying significant legal fees.
Repurposing Money: A New Approach
He expressed his desire to witness the alleged accusations that are being refuted being put to the test in a court of law.
However, the regulations concerning legal disputes in society indicate that if I opt for a trial and the court grants me compensatory payment which is just a single cent lower than the proposal for settlement, I'll be obligated to cover the expenses of the legal representatives of both parties.
According to my legal team, that scenario is highly probable. The attorneys representing Rupert Murdoch charge exorbitant fees, which means that even if all of the accusations against me are proven true in court, I could still be responsible for paying nearly £10 million in fees. To be honest, that's a price tag I'm not willing to risk facing.
The performer stated that the cash had a negative connotation to it. As a result, the funds that were given to him will be redirected to organizations such as Hacked Off, which will support the overall effort to bring attention to the negative behaviors of our press that is owned by oligarchs.
The organization Hacked Off stated that the accusations of break-ins and thievery which formed Mr. Grant's assertion are extremely damaging. Once again, instead of permitting the truth to be examined in a court of law, News UK has done all in its power to evade taking responsibility for its actions.
Grant's case was one among many that were qualified to proceed to a hearing at the High Court in London in January.
The performer, together with Prince Harry, filed a lawsuit against NGN for supposedly obtaining prohibited information. The Prince is still pursuing his legal case against the organization.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Media Show, Jake Kanter, a reporter from media news website Deadline, expressed that the agreement was unexpected for certain individuals. Additionally, he noted that Grant had been a persistent annoyance for British sensationalist newspapers for more than ten years.
There is speculation that Prince Harry's legal action against newspapers has encouraged others to do the same, and Grant is believed to be one of those individuals.
Kanter mentioned that Grant's agreement "might negatively affect the case" in case Harry's lawyers decide to go to court next month.
Grant's Decision To Settle
According to Tamsin Allen, who is in charge of media and information law at Bindmans, the general practice is that the defeated party covers the expenses of the victorious one. However, a regulation that aims to prompt resolutions outside of court may result in a different outcome.
In an interview with the PA Media news agency, the speaker mentioned that the expenses usually surpass the compensatory amount, sometimes even reaching hundreds of thousands of pounds. Therefore, instead of being granted compensation, the successful party may end up having to pay a substantial amount to their defeated adversary.
It seems that Grant has been offered a sum of money that is greater than what he could have potentially received if he had won the case in court. However, the exact amount of the offer has not been made public. This information was shared by legal expert Joshua Rozenberg during an interview on the PM programme on Radio 4.
He mentioned that the courts aim to prevent individuals from wasting their time by filing a lawsuit for something that they have already been proposed.
He mentioned that going to court would be very expensive. "Unless you have a lot of money and are willing to lose a lot of money, it wouldn't be worth it, even if the expenses were limited," he stated.
Grant is a notable figure in the film industry due to his involvement in successful movies such as Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, and Paddington 2. Apart from that, he has also become an advocate for press reform since the emergence of the phone-hacking scandal more than ten years ago.
In the past, he filed a lawsuit against NGN regarding the now-closed News of the World newspaper. The case was resolved in 2012.
This occurred one year after the media tycoon Murdoch closed down the newspaper due to public outrage over hacking revelations.
NGN has denied accusations of impropriety made towards its employees working for the Sun, and has resolved over 1,000 lawsuits without acknowledging any responsibility.
Some famous people who have resolved lawsuits before are Sienna Miller, Paul Gascoigne, Catherine Tate, Chris Moyles, and Melanie Chisholm from the Spice Girls.
At the hearing on Wednesday, Anthony Hudson KC spoke on behalf of NGN and stated that there are currently 42 active claims. This is in addition to Mr. Grant's claim, which was recently settled.
According to a representative from NGN, they issued an apology without any reservation to those who have been victims of voicemail interception by News of the World back in 2011. NGN has been providing financial restitution to those with valid claims ever since.
As the legal process nears completion, NGN is settling arguments that have been ongoing for over 20 years. In certain situations, it has been financially beneficial for both sides to come to a settlement beforehand instead of going to trial to resolve the matter. NGN is making an effort to close these disputes.
Several cases currently ongoing in the civil courts aim to involve The Sun, but there is disagreement over these claims. The Sun maintains that it is not responsible for any wrongdoing and does not acknowledge the accusations.
A short while ago, a judge decided that some of Mr. Grant's claim was too late and we have decided to settle the rest of the case. Neither party has admitted to any wrongdoing. It makes financial sense for both sides to avoid going to trial, as it would be expensive.
