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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Phone hacking: Cherie Blair and others may have to drop part of claim | Phone hacking: Cherie Blair and others may have to drop part of claim |
| (3 days later) | |
| Cherie Blair, the Duchess of York, Wayne Rooney and more than 170 others may have to drop part of their phone-hacking damages claim against News International if their cases are to go to a trial listed for next June. | Cherie Blair, the Duchess of York, Wayne Rooney and more than 170 others may have to drop part of their phone-hacking damages claim against News International if their cases are to go to a trial listed for next June. |
| The high court heard on Friday that a full trial of civil actions could be prejudicial to the criminal actions relating to alleged phone hacking involving former News of the World editors and journalists including Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, who were told this week they would not be tried until September next year. | The high court heard on Friday that a full trial of civil actions could be prejudicial to the criminal actions relating to alleged phone hacking involving former News of the World editors and journalists including Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, who were told this week they would not be tried until September next year. |
| Lawyers for the civil claimants are seeking an order from the court to force News International to disclose more documents in relation to specific alleged victims. | Lawyers for the civil claimants are seeking an order from the court to force News International to disclose more documents in relation to specific alleged victims. |
| They claim all they have to work on is a generic admission by News International but not specifics in relation to individuals and stories about them. News International is fighting the application for the disclosure order. | They claim all they have to work on is a generic admission by News International but not specifics in relation to individuals and stories about them. News International is fighting the application for the disclosure order. |
| Mr Justice Vos, the high court judge presiding over the civil litigation against the publisher, said the issue was whether claimants went ahead with their action and damages based on generic admissions by News International or not. | Mr Justice Vos, the high court judge presiding over the civil litigation against the publisher, said the issue was whether claimants went ahead with their action and damages based on generic admissions by News International or not. |
| If they decided to go ahead on the basis of generic admissions "then we can all go home" and the trial can proceed, as listed for some time in June 2013, Vos told the court. | If they decided to go ahead on the basis of generic admissions "then we can all go home" and the trial can proceed, as listed for some time in June 2013, Vos told the court. |
| He said the issue with pursuing claims on the basic of allegations specific to individual claimants was that it would be difficult for witnesses to give evidence in the civil cases without prejudicing the criminal proceedings. | He said the issue with pursuing claims on the basic of allegations specific to individual claimants was that it would be difficult for witnesses to give evidence in the civil cases without prejudicing the criminal proceedings. |
| Hugh Tomlinson QC, counsel for the alleged victims, admitted to the court that his legal team may have to go back to the defendants and tell them that if they want to proceed with a trial next June, they will have to proceed on generic, rather than specific, wrong doing by News International. | Hugh Tomlinson QC, counsel for the alleged victims, admitted to the court that his legal team may have to go back to the defendants and tell them that if they want to proceed with a trial next June, they will have to proceed on generic, rather than specific, wrong doing by News International. |
| "It may be that claimants are put to election – if you want to go on with this part of your case, then the trial will have to be adjourned," Tomlinson said. | "It may be that claimants are put to election – if you want to go on with this part of your case, then the trial will have to be adjourned," Tomlinson said. |
| Dinah Rose QC, counsel for News International, told the high court there would be a dangerous overlap with the criminal proceedings and the position of the alleged phone-hacking victims was that the publisher of the now closed News of the World would be "effectively on trial". | Dinah Rose QC, counsel for News International, told the high court there would be a dangerous overlap with the criminal proceedings and the position of the alleged phone-hacking victims was that the publisher of the now closed News of the World would be "effectively on trial". |
| Rose also lodged a strong objection to their application for more generic disclosure about activities at the News of the World. | Rose also lodged a strong objection to their application for more generic disclosure about activities at the News of the World. |
| Additionally, she told Mr Justice Vos – the high court judge overseeing the civil litigation – that it would be wholly disproportionate to use these proceedings to achieve a forensic analysis of activities at the paper. | Additionally, she told Mr Justice Vos – the high court judge overseeing the civil litigation – that it would be wholly disproportionate to use these proceedings to achieve a forensic analysis of activities at the paper. |
| "Not only is it disproportionate, it is possible to achieve and it is not relevant," she said. | "Not only is it disproportionate, it is possible to achieve and it is not relevant," she said. |
| At the same high court hearing on Friday, counsel for the Metropolitan police Jonathan Dixey revealed that information linked to alleged phone hacking by the News of the World had been passed on to 680 individuals. | At the same high court hearing on Friday, counsel for the Metropolitan police Jonathan Dixey revealed that information linked to alleged phone hacking by the News of the World had been passed on to 680 individuals. |
| Dixey said since April the Met made disclosures to 421 individuals who allegedly had their phones hacked, and 680 disclosures since the first civil claim, by Sienna Miller, in 2010. | Dixey said since April the Met made disclosures to 421 individuals who allegedly had their phones hacked, and 680 disclosures since the first civil claim, by Sienna Miller, in 2010. |
| The court was also updated by News International on the number of settlements made so far. | The court was also updated by News International on the number of settlements made so far. |
| Rose said it has made 82 settlements so far, 81 following civil proceedings and one through the News International compensation fund. | Rose said it has made 82 settlements so far, 81 following civil proceedings and one through the News International compensation fund. |
| The company is facing 154 claims in a second wave of civil actions due to be heard next June including cases brought by Neil Kinnock and Jade Goody's estate. | The company is facing 154 claims in a second wave of civil actions due to be heard next June including cases brought by Neil Kinnock and Jade Goody's estate. |
| The issues were raised on the fourth day of the latest phone-hacking case management conference at the high court on Friday. The hearing continues. | The issues were raised on the fourth day of the latest phone-hacking case management conference at the high court on Friday. The hearing continues. |
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