LONDON

Rupert Murdoch must have known of phone hacking at his newspaper group and "turned a blind eye" to extensive cover-ups of wrongdoing at his British tabloids, Prince Harry's lawyers claimed Wednesday at the High Court in London.

The lawyers said during the hearing that Harry's damages claim next year will seek to link News Group Newspapers (NGN) executives to knowledge of hacking and other unlawful activity used to spy on the Duke of Sussex and others, the BBC reported.

His case against the publisher of The Sun is being used as a "substitute for a public inquiry," the court heard after Harry and celebrities sought to pursue claims against Murdoch.

Harry's lawyers accuse Murdoch of overseeing a "culture of impunity" at NGN, the publisher of The Sun newspaper and the now defunct News of the World.

Although his lawyers are seeking permission to update parts of his case, NGN's lawyers have argued that changes to claims are "wholly unnecessary."

NGN has faced claims of phone hacking or other unlawful intrusion from more than 1,300 people, including Prince Harry.

Harry is seeking at least £200,000 ($256,000) in damages and claims to have evidence of payments made by The Sun to private investigators for information on him and his relationships.

The High Court previously ruled that Harry's allegations of phone hacking against The Sun would not go ahead due to a "lack of credibility."

According to the report, Harry's lawyers said their investigations and court disclosures from NGN itself meant they should be allowed to put more allegations before the court.

Last July, Justice Timothy Fancourt concluded that the Duke of Sussex could not bring his claim relating to phone hacking against the publisher and rejected his argument that there was a secret deal between the publisher and senior royals.

However, he ruled that Harry's claim over other allegations should go to trial, which is expected to take place in January 2025.