Prince Harry is ready to be the primary royal in 130 years to bear cross-examination in a British court docket this week, in a blockbuster authorized battle with the Mirror writer over alleged telephone hacking.
As he enters the witness field in a historic showdown on Tuesday, the Duke of Sussex will face Andrew Inexperienced KC, the famend barrister appearing on behalf of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
Mr Inexperienced, who has fought varied high-profile instances in his 35 years on the Bar, will probably be searching for to “tear his case to shreds”, a Excessive Court docket barrister advised Sky Information on Monday – as a former adversary warned The Impartial that the duke could not even realise if he slips up throughout cross-examination.
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Having been awarded silk in 2010 – the honour bestowed upon solely elite legal professionals – Mr Inexperienced has beforehand been described as a “beast in court docket”, in remarks publicised on his profile at Blackstone Chambers.
He’s ranked by the Authorized 500 as among the many prime barristers in varied areas of legislation, together with industrial litigation, banking and finance, worldwide arbitration, monetary companies, and media and leisure.
The web site describes him as “a fearless and fearsome cross-examiner”, and “an opponent to be feared, with a punchy and aggressive court docket type”, who’s “notably at house with cross-examination” and possesses “an Eye of Sauron-like deal with consumer expectations”.
Having represented the likes of Mungo Jerry and Island Data founder Chris Blackwell in media-related instances, Mr Inexperienced can be identified for main a serious investigation on behalf of the Monetary Conduct Authority in 2015, into regulatory decision-making following the collapse of banking large HBOS.
Mr Inexperienced was subsequently appointed as a specialist adviser to MPs on the Treasury choose committee, which requested him in 2016 to evaluate a elementary authorized precept in monetary inquiries.
The Duke of Sussex is because of seem in court docket
(PA Wire)
A number one barrister and former adversary advised The Impartial Mr Inexperienced will probably be “everywhere in the element” of the hacking case.
“He’ll be extraordinarily well-prepared – I anticipate relatively higher than Prince Harry reckons he’s going to be,” they added.
Mr Inexperienced will probably be relishing the uncommon prospect of cross-examining a royal, the barrister urged, noting Mr Inexperienced is “sufficiently old to be skilled however younger sufficient nonetheless to be hungry”.
(Steve Finn/Getty Pictures/John Stillwell/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)
Describing him as “ fashionable barrister” who will not be a “self-publicist”, they mentioned Mr Inexperienced would have a sequence of goals for Tuesday’s questioning and will search to take advantage of a “very robust tendency now within the English courts basically to mistrust oral testimony”.
He’ll doubtless be trying to expose the duke as “an unreliable historian”, they mentioned, including: “He received’t be doing it, I believe, in a very disagreeable method, however he’ll be displaying that, for no matter purpose, simply because he’s a excessive profile particular person, you may’t truly belief what he says.”
“He has fairly a conversational tone and I doubt that Prince Harry will see a number of the handiest bits coming,” they warned.
“Placing it in cricketing phrases, I doubt Prince Harry will realise when he’s edged the ball.”
