Doreen Lawrence will not foot legal bill in failed lawsuit against Daily Mail

Doreen Lawrence, the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, will not be required to pay any portion of the substantial legal bill arising from the unsuccessful attempt to sue Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail, the Guardian understands.

The High Court dismissed all claims brought by the Duke of Sussex and six other claimants, including Lawrence, who alleged that Mail titles used unlawful methods such as bugging, phone hacking, and blagging to gather information for stories. ANL has already stated it will seek to recover its significant defence costs.

The costs of the case are estimated to be as high as £50 million, according to Mail figures, though other sources suggest the actual amount could be a small fraction of that. However, regardless of the outcome, Lawrence will not have to contribute to the costs.

“Nobody, least of all the duke, who is very protective over Doreen, is going to see her out of pocket,” a source familiar with the matter said.

Hearings later this month will begin to determine the costs. The claimants had insurance to cover losses, and the court approved budgets of £4.1 million for the claimants and £4.4 million for ANL, which the insurance would cover. Judge Mr Justice Nicklin could rule that the claimants must pay more of ANL’s bill, and the insurer might challenge the policy, though it is not yet known if it will.

Lawrence was initially alerted to the case via a personal email from Prince Harry. In written testimony, she said he told her that information had “come to light” that she would want to know about. At a meeting at the Corinthia hotel in London, lawyers told her that a private investigator had been asked to monitor her phone bills and bank accounts. ANL always denied any wrongdoing.

Five Mail stories relating to Lawrence were part of the case. Justice Nicklin ruled that the claimants failed to prove unlawful information gathering in any of the 55 cited stories. Former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre said Lawrence’s involvement was “bitterly wounding” given the paper’s campaign to bring her son’s killers to justice.

The other claimants, including Elton John and his partner David Furnish, actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, and former Lib Dem minister Simon Hughes, will also consider whether to appeal the comprehensive defeat.