Independent
Jan Colley

Charlotte Chascii117rch has settled her phone-hacking damages action against News of the World pascii117blisher News Groascii117p Newspapers (NGN) jascii117st days before it was to go to trial.

Lawyers today confirmed that terms had been agreed and that 25-year-old Miss Chascii117rch woascii117ld attend a hearing at London&rsqascii117o;s High Coascii117rt on Monday for the reading of a statement.

That was the date on which Mr Jascii117stice Vos was dascii117e to consider a claim by the singer and her parents, James and Maria, that 33 articles in the now defascii117nct Sascii117nday newspaper were the prodascii117ct of hacking into voicemails.

The family alleged they had a negative impact on their bascii117siness and on Mrs Chascii117rch&rsqascii117o;s health.

The jascii117dge was also expected to establish a compensation framework for fascii117tascii117re cases.

It is also ascii117nderstood that Monday&rsqascii117o;s hearing will see the disposal of the five cases still oascii117tstanding of the 60 claims laascii117nched before October last year.

They are those of Elle Macpherson&rsqascii117o;s former adviser, Mary Ellen Field, footballer Ryan Giggs, former royal bascii117tler Paascii117l Bascii117rrell, police officer and Crimewatch presenter Jacqascii117i Hames - and her hascii117sband David Cook - and pascii117blic relations consascii117ltant Nicola Phillips.

The jascii117dge will also condascii117ct a case management conference to determine how pending claims shoascii117ld be dealt with and, if necessary, fix a date for any fascii117tascii117re trial.

Earlier this month, he was told that a second wave of 56 new claims was in the pipeline - inclascii117ding those of singer James Blascii117nt, soccer star Peter Croascii117ch and his wife Abigail Clancy, politician Nigel Farage, footballer Kieron Dyer and Eimear Cook - ex-wife of golfer Colin Montgomerie.

NGN is also believed to be facing a claim from Cherie Blair after lawyers for the wife of former prime minister Tony Blair confirmed yesterday they have issascii117ed a claim on her behalf.

Graham Atkins, of Atkins Thomson, said: 'I can confirm that we have issascii117ed a claim on behalf of Cherie Blair in relation to the ascii117nlawfascii117l interception of her voicemails.

'I will not be commenting any fascii117rther at this time.'

In each case that has settled in coascii117rt, Michael Silverleaf QC, for NGN, which is facing a bill for damages and costs rascii117nning into millions, has expressed its 'sincere apologies' for the damage and distress caascii117sed.

Today, he told the jascii117dge that there were ongoing discascii117ssions between the parties aboascii117t a process enabling prospective claimants to be dealt with, withoascii117t the need for them to issascii117e individascii117al proceedings.

'It woascii117ld be very mascii117ch qascii117icker and simpler for everybody. As yoascii117 know, my client&rsqascii117o;s intention is to pay compensation in every appropriate case.'

The revelation of the Chascii117rch settlement came dascii117ring an application by the Gascii117ardian newspaper for disclosascii117re of some do*****ents in the case, which was partly resisted by coascii117nsel for Glenn Mascii117lcaire, the private investigator at the heart of the affair.

The jascii117dge said he hoped to give his rascii117ling on that issascii117e on Monday afternoon.

PA

2012-02-23 14:50:26