Celebrities

Prince Harry faces New Twist in his Legal Case

Published on July 18, 2025

There’s been a bit of courtroom drama behind the scenes in Prince Harry’s ongoing legal battles, and it’s not what anyone expected. Senior Costs Judge Jason Rowley has abruptly stepped down from overseeing the assessment of legal costs in Harry’s lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers—and the reason has raised more than a few eyebrows.

The announcement came right at the start of Thursday’s hearing. Judge Rowley, one of the most senior figures in the legal costs world, explained that he simply couldn’t continue with the case after realising a potential conflict of interest tied to his former job.

“Having seen the documents rather more fully… I have taken the view that I need to recuse myself from this case. It is not a decision I have taken lightly,” he told the court, according to GB News.

Turns out, before becoming a costs judge, Rowley spent 10 months working at Temple Legal Protection—a company that now plays a rather crucial role in Harry’s legal expenses. While there, he helped design a bespoke legal costs policy that, by sheer coincidence, now applies to around 40% of the costs in the Duke of Sussex’s case.

That detail understandably made things a little uncomfortable.

“I am concerned that I may have knowledge of how this is done that is not before the parties,” Rowley added, clearly uneasy about the situation. “It seems to me obvious that the risk is there.”

To be clear, neither side raised any issues—this was something Judge Rowley flagged himself. He took the initiative after reviewing the case papers in more depth, which ultimately led him to step away.

His departure means a new judge will now have to be appointed to oversee the costs phase of the case—a crucial next step following Harry’s high-profile win against Mirror Group Newspapers back in December 2023. That’s when the High Court awarded the Duke £140,600 in damages after ruling that 15 stories published about him had been the result of unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking and other dodgy tactics.

The judgment marked a major legal and symbolic victory for Harry, who has made no secret of his determination to take on the British tabloid press. But the issue of who pays what in legal fees is far from settled, and now with Rowley out, the process might face a bit of a delay.

Interestingly, the insurance policy he helped develop while at Temple Legal Protection wasn’t just any off-the-shelf plan. It was crafted specifically to cover complex litigation costs, which means Judge Rowley’s past involvement—however unintentional—put him in a tricky position when dealing with the very framework he once helped create.

While some might question the timing, others have praised Rowley’s integrity in stepping aside to keep the legal process clean and transparent.

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