The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, has lost a court challenge against the British Government’s decision to release his tax-funded personal security.
Harry filed a lawsuit against the Home Office after it was determined in February 2020 that he would not receive the “equal degree” of security when visiting the country.
Prince Harry’s Security Challenge Rejected By High Court
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Today, in a setback for Harry, the High Court ruled in favor of his challenge to the Home Office’s decision to cut his taxpayer-funded personal security.
The Duke of Sussex has launched legal action against the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures Executive Committee (Ravec) after being informed of a downgrade in his level of protection while in the UK.
In December last year, his legal team argued that he was unfairly “singled out” and subjected to less favorable treatment than others.
However, the Government opposes this, insisting that Ravec has the power to adapt protection measures on a “case by case” basis, stressing the need for a “bespoke” approach.
After two months, retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane delivered his decision this morning, stating, “The application for judicial review is dismissed.” Despite this, Harry’s spokesperson expressed his intention to appeal, stressing that he “is not asking for preferential treatment, but for the fair and legal application of Ravec’s own rules.”
Court Says There Is No ‘Mistake’ In Its Decision
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The summary judgment highlighted the court’s determination that “there was no violation of law in reaching that decision” and that it was not “irrational.”
According to Daily Mailthe summary reads: “The court has found that there was no violation of law in reaching the decision of February 28, 2020.”
The decision emphasized that “Any deviation from policy is justified. The decision was irrational. The decision was not tainted by procedural unfairness.”
“Even if there is such procedural injustice, the court will in any case be prevented from granting [Harry] relieved,” he continued. “This is because, aside from any illegality, the consequences are likely [Harry] won’t be much different.”
In addition, “The court has also found that there was no violation of the law on Ravec’s part with regard to his arrangements for several [Harry’s] visit to Great Britain, following the decision of 28 February 2020.”
The court’s decision maintained that the “decision was not tainted by procedural unfairness,” insisting that procedural fairness is maintained at all times.
Judge Criticizes Prince Harry’s Legal Team in Security Case
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Sir Peter, in his extensive 52-page decision, criticized Harry’s legal team for adopting “an inappropriate formal interpretation of the Ravec process.”
He emphasized the legality of the custom process implemented for Harry’s case, stating that it was “legally sound.”
Additionally, Sir Peter emphasized the “forward-looking nature of the decision made on 28 February 2020.”
He rejected the argument that Harry should have undergone both a risk analysis and a bespoke approach, stating: “The suggestion that the claimant should have received both a RMB (risk) analysis and a ‘bespoke’ approach ignores the evidence of the defendant’s witnesses, who , for the reasons I have given, fall to be given weight.”
“The evidence does not show any other irrationality or illegality regarding other categories of VIPs,” he added. Additionally, Sir Peter outlined the relevance of the draft options paper presented to Harry by Sir Edward Young, private secretary to the late Queen Elizabeth II, emphasizing the Home Secretary’s role in determining the level of protection delegated to the Ravec chairman.
Prince Harry’s Legal Battle In UK
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In addition to this court challenge, Prince Harry has filed numerous cases in the United Kingdom. In January, the Duke of Sussex dropped a defamation claim he had filed against the Mail publisher.
Harry has sued the organization over an article in the Mail on Sunday that talks about its security arrangements in the UK. He claimed that the article suggested that he had “inappropriately and cynically attempted to manipulate and mislead public opinion.” Harry also felt the piece was “an attack on his honesty and integrity.”
However, his team filed a quit notice hours before the deadline to submit a list of documents in the case. Duke and his lawyers have not yet revealed why they chose to withdraw the case.
Earlier this month, he was awarded $500,000 in damages in his phone hacking suit against the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN). This comes after a judge ruled in December that the publication had illegally hacked Harry’s phone to gather information for their article about him.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
