The Duke of Sussex must pay lawyers’ bills run up by the publisher of The Mail on Sunday after losing the latest stage of a High Court libel battle, a judge says.
Harry on Friday failed in a bid to have Associated Newspapers’ defence to his libel claim thrown out.
Mr Justice Nicklin says the duke must now pay the legal costs incurred by Associated in relation to that “summary judgment application”.
The judge said, in a written case order released to journalists on Monday, that those costs should be assessed if they were not agreed.
But he said the duke should pay Associated £48,447 “on account” before the end of the year.
The judge’s order summarises his ruling on the summary judgment application, spells out his decision relating to costs and outlines a timetable for further hearings.
Mr Justice Nicklin said, in the written order, that a trial was scheduled to be staged between May 17 and July 31 2024.
He estimated that the trial would last three days.
The judge said a “pre-trial review” hearing would be staged about two months before the trial.
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