Harry & Meghan: Legal Actions against the Media

[Somebody]

What would be acceptable grounds for such a long delay? If it is due to not being able/willing to travel due to Covid, it doesn't make sense to prolong until autumn but could be delayed on a 'needs-basis'. Given that it is specified that the primary reason the delay was granted was 'confidential'; the most likely reason imho is a pregnancy. That would explain such a long delay.

N.B. I hope this suggestion (which has nothing to do with her being visibly pregnant but trying to come up with a logical explanation for what happened today) is allowed on TRF; if not, feel free to remove.

 

[Osipi]

My guess is that the "confidential" reason for the delay is nothing more than adhering to travel restrictions and health preservation due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Not only for Harry and Meghan's sake but for *everyone* that would have to be in the same place at the same time that this case would have to be heard in court.

Could be anything though, to be honest. We'll really never know.

 

[Madame Verseau]

With all the ailments Markle cited he is way vulnerable to COVID 19. Testimony via ZOOM should be sufficient not matter the trial date. I think DM is using Markle to manipulate Meghan to drop the case. I wonder if the confidentiality is Meghan's lawyers got something on Dad that will blow up the case? DM lawyers didn't contest the decision.

 

[Osipi]

We can speculate until the cows come home (still need to know where those cows go in the first place) but we're never going to know. I think its best we just take the facts that are presented to us and form opinions on those.

For all we know, Mr. Markle may have the inside scoop of a *huge* alien invasion of beings from Zygoria aiming for Earth with an unquenchable hunger for Big Macs but is under a gag order. Only the DM *knows* for sure. ?

 

[Lord_Royal]

It seems they’re asking for three different things

1. A Summary Judgement
2. Postponement of trial if Summary Judgment is not granted
3. They are appealing Justice Warby’s ruling to allow the MoS to include Finding Freedom in their case

IMO, it seems that Meghan has been made to understand that her friends and Socbie are not willing to perjure themselves and they’re trying to do damage control. It’s all about PR and optics. If their reputation gets tarnished by this, Netflix might back away.

That is my view of it as well. This is a strategic decision to keep witnesses and cross examination under oath out the equation.

If the Sussexes lose on summary judgment, they can use the old chestnut "we respect the Court's decision" and put some PR spin and then it's over and Meghan, and her friends and associates, will never have had to give viva voce evidence.

Credibility is an issue in this matter, which makes summary judgment difficult to obtain, which is why if it's not granted, they wanted the trial adjourned so that it could get settled or withdrawn.

 

[poppy7]

That is my view of it as well. This is a strategic decision to keep witnesses and cross examination under oath out the equation.

If the Sussexes lose on summary judgment, they can use the old chestnut "we respect the Court's decision" and put some PR spin and then it's over and Meghan, and her friends and associates, will never have had to give viva voce evidence.

Credibility is an issue in this matter, which makes summary judgment difficult to obtain, which is why if it's not granted, they wanted the trial adjourned so that it could get settled or withdrawn.

No. If they loose on summary judgement, which basically involves the Judge saying that the it case is so strong there is no point going to trial, they will have to go trial. Unless they withdraw their case. The Mail have refused to settle.

With all the ailments Markle cited he is way vulnerable to COVID 19. Testimony via ZOOM should be sufficient not matter the trial date. I think DM is using Markle to manipulate Meghan to drop the case. I wonder if the confidentiality is Meghan's lawyers got something on Dad that will blow up the case? DM lawyers didn't contest the decision.

No one needs to appear in person. It can all be done via zoom. Don't be naive. The Mail want this case, it is column inches. They couldn't care less if they are found at fault.

 

[QueenMathilde]

I don't see the problem. Give Markle his day in court if that's what he wants. If he was the worst father in the world it will come out in court.

 

[Denville]

I don't see the problem. Give Markle his day in court if that's what he wants. If he was the worst father in the world it will come out in court.

He has his faults but from what I've seen of him he's not the worst father in the world.

 

[winifred]

He has his faults but from what I've seen of him he's not the worst father in the world.

Of course there are worse human beings, but selling your daughter for money and fame, not once, but repeatedly, and ruining what should have been a wonderful, happy time in the run up to her wedding, doesn't make him a candidate for father of the year either.

 

[Denville]

Of course there are worse human beings, but selling your daughter for money and fame, not once, but repeatedly, and ruining what should have been a wonderful, happy time in the run up to her wedding, doesn't make him a candidate for father of the year either.

No but IMO Meghan doesn't seem to have been the most devoted daughter in latter years, Seems like she didn't visit him even to have him meet her boyfriend/fiance.. and I think that he is a sick man, probably embarrassed by financial problems and he perhaps intended to go to the UK and walk her down the aisle but lost his nerve...

 

[evolvingdoors]

No but IMO Meghan doesn't seem to have been the most devoted daughter in latter years, Seems like she didn't visit him even to have him meet her boyfriend/fiance.. and I think that he is a sick man, probably embarrassed by financial problems and he perhaps intended to go to the UK and walk her down the aisle but lost his nerve...

I think that's the biggest thing, isn't it?
She was with Harry for 1.5 years before the engagement, and during that time she has not once taken him to meet her father (many have commented during engagement how odd it is), I have wondered if Corey has ever met him too?

She seems to have abandoned him in all but social media posts around the time she met Harry (maybe even before), and it shows in her behavior towards him even before the paparazzi pictures but especially after; it almost looks like she was waiting for an excuse make the cut final, especially now that she was jumping up to the top (or near it) of the famous people food chain.


He did a dumb thing- a really dumb thing, but not bad enough to constitute to being cut off by your child (especially since her husband has done much! much! worse in his life- nazi outfit, saying racist slurs), it seems she really didn't do much to protect him besides tell him to do xyz and sending other people to do it for her; I would have been on the first flight to Mexico after those pictures were posted to personally talk to him and bring him to the UK, and if not I would have flown off to Mexico to make sure he was okay the second the wedding was over.

 

[Jacknch]

Let's get back to the topic of the thread please.

 

[REAL COUNTESS]

I think in this mess, the only one getting a kick out of it are the Attorneys, their fees will be hefty, well I don't have to pay them. The more they fight them, the tabloids, the more negative articles they write. For the love of god, ignore the stupid lot altogether.

 

[Lord_Royal]

No. If they loose on summary judgement, which basically involves the Judge saying that the it case is so strong there is no point going to trial, they will have to go trial. Unless they withdraw their case. The Mail have refused to settle.



No one needs to appear in person. It can all be done via zoom. Don't be naive. The Mail want this case, it is column inches. They couldn't care less if they are found at fault.

That's my point - if they lose they can use the old chestnut that they respect the Court's decision and don't wish to proceed further and withdraw their case. It gives them a reason to withdraw rather than doing it now for no apparent reason other than the perception by the tabloid press that Meghan or her friends didn't want to be involved in potential perjury.

 

[Ista]

Several posts have been deleted because they are off topic. This thread is specifically for the legal actions against the media; any post that does not pertain to that will be removed.

 

[evolvingdoors]

Well, this is news!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-Palace-aides-write-letter-father-Thomas.html

Meghan Markle 'had help from Palace aides' to write letter she sent to her father Thomas at centre of privacy case with the Mail on Sunday, court documents claim

The duchess has claimed the Mail On Sunday publisher breached data protection and copyright laws by revealing extracts from the 'private and confidential' letter.

But lawyers for ANL have claimed in documents filed at the High Court in London that the letter was not the 'own intellectual creation' of the 39-year-old royal.

They argue that the Kensington Palace communications team 'contributed to the writing' of an electronic draft, which the letter was later 'copied' from....

...The documents state: 'It is for the claimant (Meghan) to prove she was the only person who contributed to the writing of the electronic draft.

'Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the defendant (ANL) infers that Jason Knauf and/or others in the Kensington Palace communications team contributed to the writing of the electronic draft. 'Precisely which parts were the result of such contribution is uniquely known to the Claimant, Jason Knauf and others in the team.'

There's also a Telegraph article:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-f...t-help-compose-letter-father-court-documents/

In which I found this part interesting:

The Duchess has revealed that she spent “several weeks” composing the letter on the ‘notes’ application on her iPhone before carefully copying it out by hand.

Would you ever compose an important note on your iphone?

 

[Osipi]

Would you ever compose an important note on your iphone?

There have been many times when I've needed to draft up something I wanted to write and would use my computer to compose drafts, add notes, add to and edit before coming up with the final letter I wanted to write. I've been doing this for over 30 years so it wouldn't surprise me if Meghan composed parts of the letter to her father on her Iphone at all.

 

[AC21091968]

Well, this is news!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-Palace-aides-write-letter-father-Thomas.html

Meghan Markle 'had help from Palace aides' to write letter she sent to her father Thomas at centre of privacy case with the Mail on Sunday, court documents claim



There's also a Telegraph article:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-f...t-help-compose-letter-father-court-documents/

In which I found this part interesting:

Would you ever compose an important note on your iphone?

Thank you evolvingdoors for these two interesting articles. I'm not quite sure what would happen next after finding out the allegation that Meghan had help from Palace staff in writing the letter (to Thomas Markle)

Personally, I would not compose an important note on my phone. I would actually type it on my laptop, because for me, it's much easier to type and see the content. In some circumstances, I would actually hand-write a rough draft on scrap papers.

 

[Curryong]

It also states that the defendant (ANL) 'infers' that Jason Knauf and others at KP 'helped' to compose the letter. That's hardly certainty about anything! These sort of allegations will go backwards and forwards between plaintiff and defendant until the court case is resolved.

 

[JR76]

Would you ever compose an important note on your iphone?

I do it all the time.

 

[evolvingdoors]

Thank you evolvingdoors for these two interesting articles. I'm not quite sure what would happen next after finding out the allegation that Meghan had help from Palace staff in writing the letter (to Thomas Markle)

Personally, I would not compose an important note on my phone. I would actually type it on my laptop, because for me, it's much easier to type and see the content. In some circumstances, I would actually hand-write a rough draft on scrap papers.

If accurate, it certainly raises one important question that will need addressing: were the parts the MoS posted written by Meghan with/or KP staff? if the latter is the case than her entire case just crumbled, if the former is true, than she may have some leg to stand on.

I'm intrigued to know how the MoS lawyers reached the conclusion the latter was written not only by Meghan by KP staff (not only that they provided a potential name), did someone approach them? did they approach someone?(can they even do that outside of the court before the trial started?)
Will they need and ask for access to KP computers to verify this? Would Meghan need access to KP computers to verify differently?

More and more I can't help wondering if the MoS had more info about this letter in reference to the case and it is why they wouldn't cut a deal.

And more so, I am still intrigued as to what was so important she needed to postpone the trial by nearly a whole year!

 

[Madame Verseau]

I am surprised about the letter written with the help of KP staff. Then again Markle was dragging all the BRF not just the Sussexes. The palace would want damage control. Meghan submitted a copy of the full letter to the court with redactions. I wonder it KP got dirt on Markle and threatened to expose it if he continued to trash the royal family? It explained the summary judgment request.

 

[Winnie]

I also have prewritten a letter before sending a properly written one but never to my Dad. He HATED talking on the phone ever as he was hard of hearing from young and aids really not much help. Those letters, and many over the years, were always written to him immediately while thoughts warm in my mind. Sometime even containing bad spelling or grammar. Daddy's letters were for his eyes only [I'm sure he let Mom read some] but never did I "test" write a letter to family and save a copy for my journal. Yes I am one of those people that have journals. We called them diaries when young. I actually started my "serious" ones in 1966 on my honeymoon just jotting down places we visited and brilliant restaurants where we ate. They saw me through births of daughters, divorce, university classes to get better jobs, new marriage, etc. Still write down a line or two of information daily even through this weird isolation virus garbage. So yes, I understand a rewrite but never to my Dad who I would just write off my feelings on all subjects as if I was talking to him. Plus I would never share personal letters with friends and either would my parents. Just as I would never record a phone conversation to my loved ones. I guess we all just have different ways of looking at family relationships. JMO

 

[MARG]

I believe the MoS is just trying g to keep the case in the press. Harry's family have had two cases settled during this legal debacle. I think they believe that since the BRF have all but cut them loose they are fair game. In this instance it is not going to serve the BRF well because if the MoS win they will have the rest of the BRF in their sights.

 

[tommy100]

I wonder if the greater point they are making is a) is it truly Meghan's copyright if parts of it were written by others and b) if Meghan claims it was a hugely private letter but it turns out her friends talking to People knew about it and staff were asked to contribute to it and saw draft copies it perhaps not the private "daughter writing to her father" letter than could be argued to be 100% private.

Not saying right or wrong just saying...

 

[Curbside]

I write manuscripts on my devices, so I don’t see why this would be any different.

 

[ACO]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/worl...urt-case-judge-says/ar-BB1b7MWX?ocid=msedgntp

Judge made trial delay ruling official today. Also made it clear that Thomas Markle is not an important witness and he was "quite rightly" not told the reason of the delay. He is free to give a statement though.

--

More updates today.

Meghan spoke to Harry and "two senior members" who suggested she write the letter. My guess Charles and William.

Also Meghan didn't object to a friend talking to the authors about the letter which was already in the public domain. I guess they can argue a privacy point but not sure what that is to do with copyright.

 

[evolvingdoors]

Sorry ACO I think this is bigger news:

Meghan Markle admits giving personal information to the authors of Finding Freedom
In new court documents, the Duchess says she gave her own version of events to someone to be communicated to the authors

The Duchess of Sussex has admitted that she gave personal information to the authors of Finding Freedom via a third party. In new documents lodged with the High Court, she reveals she was concerned that “her father’s narrative” - that she had abandoned him and cut off contact - might be repeated, prompting her to intervene.
The Duchess says she gave her own version of events to someone else to pass on, so “the true position… could be communicated to the authors to prevent any further misrepresentation.”....

Mr Knauf “provided feedback” in the form of “general ideas,” the documents reveal.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...-giving-personal-information-authors-finding/


So, MoS was right... man.
I think she just lost her case.

But i'm not a lawyer, so..


ETA, Jack Royston tweeter account:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1329103362239963137

 

[Lori138]

And so all of those who absolutely believed Omid Scobie when he categorically denied having help from Meghan or both Harry and Meghan? It was the only possible answer to the amount of personal information revealed in the book.

It is almost like all the conspiracy theorists who don't believe that Covid is real and not a threat. You believe Omid Scobie but deny a pandemic. Just my two cents.

 

[ACO]

I mentioned that news. I am not seeing how MOS was right since they actually published the letter before Finding Freedom existed. Well over a year in fact. It was already in the public domain due to them. Meghan didn't object to her friend but it was already out there and that still has nothing to do with copyright.

As for the rest of the book they still deny talking or working with them. Nor do that even know what was said by the people they claimed to collaborate with on the book. Stated again in these documents.

Also they claimed members of KP wrote the letter with Meghan. That is not true per these documents either. In fact quite the opposite. What was stated was that Meghan was following protocol, wrote it on the suggestion of senior royals, and Knauf looked over before sending it out. As that is his job.

But you are right we are not lawyers. Curious if the trial will continue come January,.