UK judge holds hearing in Meghan's lawsuit against newspaper

A judge in London is hearing latest st on Wednesday of Duchess of Sussex’s privacy-infringement lawsuit against a British newspaper, as Meghan tries to keep names of five of her friends out of public eye.

former Meghan Markle is suing publisher of Mail on Sunday newspaper and MailOnline website at Britain’s High Court over five articles that published portions of a handwritten letter she wrote to her estranged far, Thomas Markle, after her marri to Prince Harry in 2018.

Meghan, 38, is seeking dams from publisher Associated Newspapers Ltd. for alleged misuse of private information, copyright infringement and data protection breaches. Associated Newspapers has said it will strongly contest claim.

At one-day hearing, judge Mark Warby is considering an application by Meghan’s lawyers to prohibit publishing details of friends who spoke anymously to People magazine to condemn alleged bullying she h received at hands of U.K. press.

In a witness statement submitted in case, duchess said “each of se women is a private citizen, young mor, and each has a basic right to privacy.”

“se five women are t on trial, and r am I,” she wrote. “ publisher of Mail on Sunday is one on trial. It is this publisher that acted unlawfully and is attempting to eve accountability; to create a circus and distract from point of this case -- that Mail on Sunday unlawfully published my private letter.”

newspaper’s lawyers say that it was Meghan’s friends who brought letter into public domain by describing it in People article.

American actress Meghan Markle married Harry, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, in a lavish ceremony at Windsor Castle in May 2018. ir son Archie was born following year,

In January couple anunced y were quitting royal duties and moving to rth America, citing what y said was unbearable intrusion from British media.