Harry’s legal challenge against Home Office to begin

The case against the department is expected to conclude on Thursday, with a decision at a later date.

The Duke of Sussex’s legal challenge over his security arrangements while in the UK will reach the High Court (PA) (PA Wire)

The Duke of Sussex’s legal challenge over his security arrangements while in the UK will reach the High Court.

Harry is taking action against the Home Office over the February 2020 decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) over his security, after being told he would no longer be given the “same degree” of personal protective security when visiting.

The duke was cleared to bring the challenge in July 2022 and the claim will be heard over two-and-a-half days starting from Tuesday.

In making the bid for the challenge, lawyers for Harry said the security arrangements set out in a letter from Ravec, and their application when he visited the UK in June 2021, were invalid due to “procedural unfairness” because he was not given an opportunity to make “informed representations beforehand”.

Shaheed Fatima KC, for the duke, told the High Court in London last year: “He didn’t know at that stage that the Royal Household was involved at all… he was told it was an independent decision.”

Lawyers for the Home Office said Ravec was entitled to reach the decision it did, which is that Harry’s security arrangements will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and said permission for a full challenge should be refused.

A decision is expected at a later date.

The hearing is one of the five High Court claims the duke is involved in, including extensive litigation against newspaper publishers.

Earlier this year, he was refused permission to bring a further legal challenge against the Home Office over a Ravec decision that he should not be allowed to pay privately for protective security.