The judge ruled that “the disclosures were manifestly excessive and thus illegal” and that there would be “no prospect of a different verdict following a trial.”
The plaintiff had a reasonable expectation that the contents of the letter would remain private. The postal articles disrupted that reasonable expectation, ‘he wrote in the verdict.
The Mail on Sunday and Associated Newspapers previously said they supported the decision to publish excerpts from the letter and would vigorously defend the case.
Meghan welcomed the ruling in a statement devastatingly critical of the tabloid. “After two long years of litigation, I am grateful to the courts for holding Associated Newspapers and The Mail on Sunday to account for their illegal and inhumane practices,” she said.
These tactics (and those of their sister publications MailOnline and the Daily Mail) are not new; in fact, they have been going on for far too long without consequences.
“For these outlets, it’s a game. For me and so many others, it’s real life, real relationships, and very real grief.
Meghan thanked her legal team, family and supporters, adding, “We all lose when misinformation sells more than truth, when moral exploitation sells more than decency, and when companies create their business model to capitalize on people’s pain. But for today, with this all-encompassing victory over both privacy and copyright, we’ve all won. ”
A new hearing to decide matters related to the case and outline next steps will take place on March 2, but the summary ruling means that the privacy aspects of the case have been decided and will not be tried.
Meghan is seeking damages for misuse of private information, copyright infringement and violation of the Data Protection Act 2018.