Prince Harry Overrides UK Home Office's Refusal to Grant Police Protection in High Court

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The UK High Court approved on Friday part of Prince Harry's challenge against the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who refused to provide state-funded police protection to the Duke of Sussex and his family while in the UK, and now the claim can receive judicial review.

Prince Harry challenged the February 2020 decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC), according to which the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, after stepping down as full-time working members of the Royal Family, would be neither granted the same level of personal protection nor be able to pay for local police protection on their own while visiting the UK. RAVEC stated that personal protection would be provided to the Sussexes on a case-by-case basis through periodic risk assessments.

"Permission to apply for judicial review is granted: ... Save as aforesaid, permission to apply for judicial review is refused," the High Court said in a judgment.

The judge cleared parts of four out of the five grounds stated in Prince Harry's claim to proceed into a High Court case. This included the challenge to the "procedural unfairness" of RAVEC's decision as it prevented the Duke of Sussex from making "informed representations beforehand."

The Duke of Sussex stepped down from his work as a member of the Royal Family in April 2020 and moved with his family to Canada and then to the United States. He reached an agreement with the Queen that his family will be allowed to earn their own income and pursue their own private charitable interests.