A judge said the claimants had failed to prove allegations of unlawful information gathering.
Allison Boedges
ANL denied all claims and maintained that the information had been brought forward too late.
The judge, Matthew Nicklin, acknowledged the allegations were serious, but stated the evidence was not sufficiently convincing in his summary of the case.
In a public statement following the verdict, Paul Dacre, ANL’s editor-in-chief, described the court’s decision as a “victory for Associated’s magnificent journalists” and free press itself.
The high-profile case included claims from several other celebrities including singer Elton John and his husband, member of the House of Lords Doreen Lawrence, former politician Simon Hughes, and actresses Sadie Frost and Elizabeth Hurley.
