The judge ruled that “the disclosures were manifestly excessive and therefore illegal” and that “there will be no prospect of a different decision being taken after a trial”.
“The applicant had a reasonable expectation that the contents of the letter would remain private. The correspondence articles interfered with this reasonable expectation,” he wrote in the judgment.
The Mail on Sunday and the Associated Newspapers previously said they agreed with the decision to publish excerpts from the letter and would firmly defend the case.
Meghan welcomed the decision in a statement that harshly criticized the tabloid. “After two long years of litigation, I am grateful to the courts for holding Associated Newspapers and The Mail on Sunday to answer for their illegal and dehumanizing practices,” she said.
“These tactics (and those of their sister publications MailOnline and Daily Mail) are not new; in fact, they have been going on for far too long, with no consequences.
“For these outlets, it’s a game. For me and so many others, it’s real life, real relationships and very real sadness. The damage they’ve done and continues to be deep,” Meghan said.
Meghan thanked her legal team, family and supporters, adding: “We all lose when misinformation sells more than the truth, when moral exploitation sells more than decency, and when companies create their business model to take advantage of people’s pain. But for today, with this comprehensive victory for both privacy and copyright, we have all won. “
Another hearing to decide the issues related to the case and to describe the next steps will take place on March 2, but the summary judgment means that the confidentiality issues of the case have been decided and will not be prosecuted.
Meghan is seeking compensation for the misuse of private information, copyright infringement and violation of the 2018 Data Protection Act.