The file
company

News Group Newspapers

Publisher of the Sun newspaper

Entries
10
On the record
6
Stories
1
Latest entry
Jul 27, 2023

The record

Compiled by the MrScandal desk from the documents below ยท Desk editor Gustavs ฤ’rkลกฤทis-Kreicbergs ยท Nov 9, 2026

News Group Newspapers Limited is the London company behind The Sun and The Sun on Sunday, and until July 2011 it published the News of the World. Companies House lists it as incorporated on 30 December 1960 and still active, with its registered office at 1 London Bridge Street. At the time of the 2012 Leveson Inquiry it sat inside News International, the UK newspaper arm of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.

Its legal record before the Depp libel case runs through the phone-hacking affair. Clive Goodman, a News of the World journalist, and Glenn Mulcaire pleaded guilty in November 2006 and were jailed in January 2007. In 2008 the High Court awarded Max Mosley ยฃ60,000 against the company for a breach of his privacy. In April 2011 the paper, the company and News International apologised publicly for phone hacking at the News of the World, which closed on 10 July 2011.

Lord Justice Leveson's report on press culture and ethics was published in November 2012. In civil litigation the company has admitted illegal conduct at the News of the World while it determinedly denies any unlawful conduct at The Sun, a High Court judge noted in July 2023, when he ruled that the Duke of Sussex's phone-hacking claims were out of time but that his claims over other unlawful information gathering must go to trial.

Roles and honours on the record

  • 1960 Incorporated in England as company number 00679215, registered office 1 London Bridge Street, London source
  • 1969-2011 Publisher of the News of the World, closed on 10 July 2011 source
  • as of 2012 Publisher of The Sun and The Sun on Sunday, a subsidiary of News International, News Corporation's UK newspaper arm source

Every entry, newest first

Last entry Nov 2, 2020
  1. Ruled

    High Court dismissed Depp's libel claim, holding the Sun's "wife beater" article substantially true, per BBC News. Johnny Depp v Amber Heard: $10.35M Virginia award, UK libel loss

Stories in this file

Amber Heard: $10.35M Virginia awardCelebrity ยท 5d ago

โš–๏ธ Johnny Depp v Amber Heard: $10.35M Virginia award, UK libel loss

A London judge found 12 of 14 alleged assaults proved. A Virginia jury sided mostly with Depp. Heard says settling was no concession.

The record, entry by entry

  1. 1960-12-30 Official News Group Newspapers Limited was incorporated in England as company number 00679215. The register lists it as active. Companies House, company record
  2. 1969 Official Rupert Murdoch bought the News of the World in January 1969 and The Sun in October 1969, and the two were published as sister titles until the News of the World closed, the Leveson report records. Leveson Inquiry report, Volume I (HC 780-i)
  3. 2006-11-29 Admitted Clive Goodman and Glenn Mulcaire pleaded guilty to the main counts of an indictment over voicemail interception at the Central Criminal Court. Leveson Inquiry report, Volume I (HC 780-i)
  4. 2007-01-26 Ruled Mr Justice Gross sentenced Goodman to four months' imprisonment and Mulcaire to six months. Leveson Inquiry report, Volume I (HC 780-i)
  5. 2008-07-24 Ruled In Mosley v News Group Newspapers, Mr Justice Eady awarded Max Mosley ยฃ60,000 in damages for breach of privacy, finding no public interest that justified the published images and no evidence that the gathering reported was meant to enact Nazi behaviour. High Court judgment, [2008] EWHC 1777 (QB)
  6. 2011-04-08 Admitted News International announced a compensation scheme for victims of voicemail hacking at the News of the World, following a public apology from the newspaper, News Group Newspapers and News International. The scheme launched on 4 November 2011. Leveson Inquiry report, Volume I (HC 780-i)
  7. 2011-07-10 Official The News of the World, published by News Group Newspapers, closed. Leveson Inquiry report, Volume I (HC 780-i)
  8. 2012-11-29 Official Lord Justice Leveson's report into the culture, practices and ethics of the press was laid before Parliament in four volumes. GOV.UK, Leveson Inquiry report publication page
  9. 2023-07-27 Ruled Mr Justice Fancourt granted the company summary judgment on the Duke of Sussex's voicemail interception claims as time-barred, but ruled that his claims over blagging and the use of private investigators must be tried. The judgment noted the company long ago admitted illegal conduct at the News of the World and denies any unlawful conduct at The Sun. High Court judgment, [2023] EWHC 1944 (Ch)

Documents

Sources behind this file

  1. BBC News report on the settlement ยท Report, Dec 19, 2022
  2. Courthouse News report on the denied new-trial motion ยท Report, Jul 13, 2022
  3. BBC News report on the Virginia verdict ยท Report, Jun 2, 2022
  4. BBC News analysis of the UK and US outcomes ยท Report, Jun 2, 2022
  5. Courthouse News report on the Virginia verdict ยท Report, Jun 1, 2022
  6. BBC News report on the Court of Appeal refusal ยท Report, Mar 25, 2021
  7. BBC News report on the refused appeal and costs payment ยท Report, Nov 25, 2020
  8. BBC News report on the London libel ruling ยท Report, Nov 2, 2020
  9. High Court judgment, Depp II v News Group Newspapers (BAILII) ยท Court order, Nov 2, 2020

Connected files

  • Amber Heard ยท Actress, plays Mera in Aquaman ยท 1 shared story
  • Johnny Depp ยท American actor (born 1963) ยท 1 shared story