Prince Harry Allowed to Challenge U.K. Government over Security Plan
Prince Harry has won his bid to bring part of his high court claim against the British Home Office over security arrangements while in the United Kingdom.
In a judgment today, Friday, high court Judge Mr. Justice Swift said the case could proceed, granting permission for part of Harry’s claim to have a judicial review.
Swift said: "The application for permission to apply for judicial review is allowed in part and refused in part."
Harry is bringing legal action over a decision from the government not to allow him to pay for police protection for himself and his family when they are in the U.K.
At a preliminary hearing last month, his lawyers sought permission for a full judicial review of the Home Office decision. The Duke of Sussex is now challenging the February 2020 decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC) after being told he would no longer be given the "same degree" of personal protection when visiting U.K. now that he has stepped down as a senior royal.
Earlier this month, Harry saw another court victory, as parts of a Mail on Sunday story he disputed were ruled by a judge as defamatory.
The Duke of Sussex is currently suing the British tabloid’s publisher, Associated Newspapers Limited, for libel after it claimed Harry used his PR team to spin facts about his request for police protection while in the U.K.
The British High Court heard from Harry's legal team that the tabloid's February story falsely suggested the prince had "lied" and "cynically" attempted to manipulate public opinion about the matter. The original article carried the headline, "Exclusive: How Prince Harry tried to keep his legal fight with the government over police bodyguards a secret... then — just minutes after the story broke — his PR machine tried to put a positive spin on the dispute."
The judge in the case ruled that the story did suggest Harry was responsible for "spinning the facts" and misleading the public into thinking he had been offering to pay for police protection when he had only offered to fund the security arrangements after his legal battle with the British Home Office began.
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