A judge is set to rule whether documents should be kept private in the Duke of Sussex’s legal challenge against a decision to change his level of police protection when in the UK.
Harry is bringing a claim against the Home Office after being told he would no longer be given the “same degree” of personal protective security when visiting from the US, despite offering to pay for it himself. The duke wants to bring his children to the UK, but “does not feel safe” when visiting under current security arrangements, the High Court was previously told.
He is challenging the February 2020 decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which has delegated powers from the Home Secretary. Preliminary court proceedings last month, largely held in private, covered an application by the duke and the Home Office for some parts of court documents in the case to be kept private.
Mr Justice Swift is due to issue his ruling over the initial matters on Thursday. The duke’s barrister, Shaheed Fatima QC, previously told the court that Harry considers the UK “is and always will be his home”.
A legal representative for Harry previously said he wants to fund the security himself, rather than ask taxpayers to foot the bill. Harry is arguing that his private protection team in the US does not have adequate jurisdiction abroad or access to UK intelligence information which is needed to keep his family safe.
Mr Justice Swift previously said the duke’s legal challenge alleges that Ravec’s decision was “unreasonable” and reached through an “over rigid application of the policy”. Harry also claims that “insufficient information” was provided in relation to the Ravec policy and “those involved in the Ravec decision”, the judge said.
Robert Palmer QC, for the Home Office, previously told the court the duke’s offer of private funding was “irrelevant” and that “personal protective security by the police is not available on a privately financed basis”. Mr Palmer said in written submissions that Ravec had attributed to the duke “a form of exceptional status” where he is considered for personal protective security by the police “with the precise arrangements being dependent on the reason for his presence in Great Britain and by reference to the functions he carries out when present”.
The duke and his wife Meghan live in the US with their children Archie and Lilibet after quitting as senior working royals in early 2020. Harry briefly returned from Los Angeles last year for the July 1 unveiling of the Diana, Princess of Wales memorial statue, and the day before he met seriously ill children and young people at a garden party and afternoon tea in Kew Gardens, west London.
It is understood that his car was chased by photographers as he left. Mr Justice Swift is expected to give his ruling at 10am on Thursday.
