comments on Milly Dowler phone hacking damages

20th September 2011

Steve Kuncewicz, media lawyer at Gateley in Manchester – the top 50, national law firm – comments on the damages awarded in relation to the Milly Dowler phone hacking case.

A settlement of £3 million has been agreed out of court between News International and Milly Dowler’s family. The sum is made up of a personal £1 million charity donation from Rupert Murdoch and a £2 million settlement directly to the Dowler family.

This payout is three times more than any other victim of phone hacking and is far more than the court would have ordered if it had progressed this far. It’s also highly unlikely that we’ll see this kind of value again in any of the remaining cases that are still due to be heard. The level of settlement reflects the gravity given to the actions of News of the World journalists in intercepting Milly Dowler’s voicemails in 2002.

We already know that News International has set-up a compensation fund for the victims of phone hacking, but don’t know how much is in the pot. This settlement will not set a precedent, but is reflective of the severity of the case’s specific circumstances.