Former Daily Mail editor, Paul Dacre, is set to appear as an early witness when Associated Newspapers Limited faces a High Court trial over allegations of illegal information gathering, according to GB News on Friday.
Along with singer Elton John and five other high-profile British figures, King Charles's youngest son, Prince Harry, is suing Associated Newspapers (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail tabloid, alleging widespread unlawful behaviour.
The media outlet reported that it is scheduled to begin on January 19 before Justice Nicklin.
The report said that Dacre, who now serves as editor-in-chief at DMG Media, is expected to be called first by ANL.
It added, the publisher’s KC, Antony White, said it is incredibly important for various reasons that Mr Dacre and Peter Wright give evidence at the outset so they can address what he described as critically important allegations before other witnesses appear.
David Sherborne, representing the Duke of Sussex and the other claimants, said ANL intends for Mr Dacre to give evidence relating in part to material from his appearances at the Leveson Inquiry in 2011 and 2012.
Justice Nicklin cautioned the claimants’ legal team against allowing the trial to become a wide-ranging public inquiry focused only on selected issues.
He also warned that he would not permit attempts to surprise witnesses or catch them unprepared.
The court granted limited access to notebooks belonging to private investigator Stephen Whittamore.
These records set out work carried out for journalists and were retained by ANL after the Leveson Inquiry.
Sherborne argued that the restricted access placed his clients at an unfair disadvantage.
According to GB News, the trial is expected to last nine weeks.
The claimants accuse ANL of serious privacy breaches dating back 30 years, ranging from tapping their phones and bugging their homes to obtaining medical records by deception. Among those they say were involved are current national newspaper editors and other senior press figures.
ANL, which publishes the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, has denied involvement in unlawful practices and described the "lurid claims made by Prince Harry and others" as "simply preposterous".
