Associated Newspapers
British publisher of the *Daily Mail* and *Metro*, known for influential right-leaning tabloid journalism and high-traffic celebrity scoops.
- Entries
- 13
- On the record
- 12
- Stories
- 1
- Latest entry
- Dec 8, 2023
The record
Associated Newspapers Limited is the London company behind The Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, registered at Companies House as number 00084121 and incorporated on April 1, 1905. Its registered office is Northcliffe House, 9 Derry Street, London. Most of its recent public record sits in the High Court and Court of Appeal in London, where members of the royal family and other public figures have sued it.
The Duchess of Sussex won summary judgment against it in February 2021 over the publication of her letter to her father, and in December 2021 the Court of Appeal dismissed the company's appeal on every ground. The Duke of Sussex separately sued it for libel over a February 2022 Mail on Sunday article about his legal fight over police protection; a judge found the article's meanings defamatory and later refused his bid to strike out the paper's honest opinion defence.
In October 2022 seven claimants, including the Duke of Sussex, Sir Elton John and Baroness Lawrence, issued claims alleging unlawful information gathering, from phone hacking to the use of private investigators. Associated denies the allegations. In November 2023 Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed its bid to end the claims on limitation grounds, while barring the claimants from relying on material from the Leveson Inquiry.
Roles and honours on the record
Every entry, newest first
- Filed
Court documents set £1 privacy damages and a confidential copyright sum; no Supreme Court appeal, per The Guardian. Meghan wins £1 privacy damages over her letter to her father
- Admitted
Mail on Sunday printed a statement that it infringed Meghan's copyright and that financial remedies were agreed. Meghan wins £1 privacy damages over her letter to her father
- Ruled
Court of Appeal dismissed its appeal against the summary judgment, per The Independent. Meghan wins £1 privacy damages over her letter to her father
- Ruled
Court granted Meghan an interim £450,000 toward legal costs, per The Guardian. Meghan wins £1 privacy damages over her letter to her father
- Ruled
High Court ordered the Mail on Sunday to print a front-page statement on Meghan's copyright win, per the BBC. Meghan wins £1 privacy damages over her letter to her father
- Ruled
High Court gave Meghan summary judgment on privacy; publication of her letter held "manifestly excessive and hence unlawful". Meghan wins £1 privacy damages over her letter to her father
Stories in this file
The record, entry by entry
- 1905-04-01 Official Associated Newspapers Limited was incorporated; the company remains active with its registered office at Northcliffe House, 9 Derry Street, London. Companies House, company record 00084121
- 2021-02-11 Ruled Mr Justice Warby granted the Duchess of Sussex summary judgment on misuse of private information and on copyright subsistence and infringement over the letter to her father, finding the publisher's defences bound to fail. Authorship and remedies were left for later. High Court, Chancery Division, [2021] EWHC 273 (Ch)
- 2021-12-02 Ruled The Court of Appeal, sitting as Sir Geoffrey Vos, Dame Victoria Sharp and Lord Justice Bean, dismissed Associated Newspapers' appeal against the Duchess of Sussex's summary judgment on all the grounds for which permission was given. Court of Appeal, [2021] EWCA Civ 1810
- 2022-07-08 Ruled In the Duke of Sussex's libel claim over a February 2022 Mail on Sunday and MailOnline article about his police-protection case, Mr Justice Nicklin ruled the article did not mean he lied, but held its two meanings defamatory at common law. High Court, [2022] EWHC 1755 (QB)
- 2022-10-06 Filed Baroness Lawrence, Elizabeth Hurley, Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Sir Simon Hughes, the Duke of Sussex and Sadie Frost Law issued claims alleging unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking, blagging and the use of private investigators. Associated denies the allegations. High Court, [2023] EWHC 2789 (KB)
- 2023-11-10 Ruled Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed Associated's limitation application in the unlawful information gathering claims, allowing them to continue, and upheld its application to stop the claimants relying on ledger information supplied to the Leveson Inquiry. High Court, [2023] EWHC 2789 (KB)
- 2023-12-08 Ruled Mr Justice Nicklin refused the Duke of Sussex's applications to strike out or summarily dismiss Associated's honest opinion defence to his libel claim. Associated had denied the article caused serious harm to his reputation. High Court, [2023] EWHC 3120 (KB)
Documents
- Judgment, Duchess of Sussex v Associated Newspapers, [2021] EWHC 273 (Ch) (Feb. 11, 2021)
- Judgment, Duchess of Sussex v Associated Newspapers, [2021] EWCA Civ 1810 (Dec. 2, 2021)
- Judgment on meaning, Duke of Sussex v Associated Newspapers, [2022] EWHC 1755 (QB) (July 8, 2022)
- Judgment, Baroness Lawrence and others v Associated Newspapers, [2023] EWHC 2789 (KB) (Nov. 10, 2023)
- Judgment, Duke of Sussex v Associated Newspapers, [2023] EWHC 3120 (KB) (Dec. 8, 2023)
- Companies House record, Associated Newspapers Limited (00084121)