Meghan Markle slammed for bid to delay high court privacy battle, Internet calls it the 'Amber Heard effect'

The Duchess of Sussex is suing Associated Newspapers for exposing parts of a handwritten letter, which she had sent to her father Thomas Markle
UPDATED OCT 29, 2020
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

The Duchess of Sussex has decided to launch an 11th-hour bid to stop her high court privacy trial against her estranged father Thomas Markle from moving ahead. 

The lawyers for Meghan have applied to adjourn the hearing and are expected to ask a judge to ax it, claiming that the defense has no chance of succeeding. Their application will be heard post a private hearing held "to protect the confidentiality of some of the facts". 

39-year-old Meghan is suing Associated Newspapers who are the publishers of Mail on Sunday for printing extracts of a handwritten letter which she had sent to Thomas Markle, 75. Both have previously pledged to give evidence at the trial which is said to start on January 11. 

The Ministry of Justice had confirmed that Meghan had filed an application to postpone the trial with her lawyers expected to ask for a "summary judgment and strike out application". Should Justice Warby agree, Meghan and her father would not have to testify in public and the judge will decide the outcome behind closed doors. 

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (not pictured) and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit Tembisa township to learn about Youth Employment Services (YES) on October 2, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on an official visit to South Africa (Getty Images) 

The mother of one's lawyers is expected to appeal against a decision that will allow allegations that she collaborated with 'Finding Freedom' which is a biography on Meghan and Harry's life, to form part of the defense case. Associated has claimed that she had written the letter, knowing it would get into the public eye. 

Meghan however, has denied these claims and is suing for invasion of privacy, copyright infringement and data protection rights. 

Many social media users have slammed Meghan's appeal to postpone the trial. One such user shared, "So between now and January you are telling me that a top team of lawyers can’t be ready to go to trial! What are they doing all day??? She’s the one who is supposed to be holding all the cards, but apparently not!!"

"I hope the associated newspaper fights this tooth & nail & makes her go to court just because she’s made them waste money defending an article that was a 1000% true," commented another user. Yet another added, "If I was her I’d get a better team. How can you need a delay to be more prepared but have such a strong case that you don’t even need a trial? She’s scared of the reception she’ll receive outside of court when she appears more like. I call it the amber heard effect."



 



 



 

"#MeghanMarkle bids to postpone her High Court privacy trial Another mirrors and smoke screen antic by #Markle. For someone who wants privacy she is definitely dragging this court case out for the long-haul," wrote another user. Yet another shared, "Nope she shouldn't be allowed to postpone she had all this time to get everything in order not anyone's fault but her own that her and her hubby decided to write a biography gotta face the consequences of your actions #Karma."



 



 

We had earlier reported that her "very close relationship" with her father, Thomas Markle, deteriorated because of the influence of the United Kingdom's tabloid media. The allegations were made in court papers filed by the lawyers for the Duchess of Sussex, 38, in her lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Mail on Sunday and Mail Online, over a February 2019 article, which had reproduced parts of a handwritten note she had sent to her father in August 2018.

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