Instead of watching live footage on BBC News of photographers waiting to snap Prince Harry entering the Rolls Building, Obiter decided to make a quick dash down the road to see the action with our own eyes.
With 40 minutes still to go until the hearing began, Obiter counted at least 50 members of the media waiting for Harry’s arrival. The Duke of Sussex was due to appear in court to give evidence against Mirror Group Newspapers in a trial over phone-hacking allegations.
A flurry of clicks at 10.16am when Harry’s counsel, barrister David Sherborne, walked into court. However, still no sign of the Duke of Sussex as the clock approached 10.30am.
Armed with notepad and pen, Obiter headed inside to see what was going on, passing through security at record speed. The main hearing was taking place in court 15. Obiter was given a ticket by a government press officer to hand to a security guard, who duly let us enter the overspill court, where two rows of journalists were watching proceedings on a TV screen.
Counsel were discussing the timetable - turns out Harry would be in court tomorrow to give evidence. The judge was a 'little surprised' not to see the prince in court today. MGN's lawyers weren't happy. ‘I have to cross-examine him on 32 articles and that cannot be done in one day,’ counsel for MGN told the judge.
Timetable issues dealt with, at approximately 11.08am Sherborne began opening submissions. Obiter decided to make a quiet exit (the sound quality of the TV in the overspill court wasn't great).
The public corridors were eerily quiet. No doubt it will be a lot busier tomorrow.
3 Readers' comments