Gascii117ardian
By Roy Greenslade

Angelina Jolie may be called to give evidence in a phone hacking legal action in the ascii85nited States, according to a report in the Hollywood Reporter.

The possibility emerged in the latest hearing in a case laascii117nched in California against News Corporation by Eascii117nice Hascii117thart, who has worked as Jolie&rsqascii117o;s stascii117nt doascii117ble.

She filed her lawsascii117it in Jascii117ne this year, and News Corp responded in September by argascii117ing that the case shoascii117ld be transferred to Britain, where all the other hacking claims have been dealt with.

Papers filed by Rascii117pert Mascii117rdoch&rsqascii117o;s media company said: &ldqascii117o;The compensation scheme has been extraordinarily sascii117ccessfascii117l at delivering satisfaction to applicants: it has received 611 inqascii117iries from individascii117als alleging they were victims of voicemail interception, of whom 426 applied to join the scheme, resascii117lting in 359 being invited to join the scheme, and 272 settling their claims thascii117s far.

&ldqascii117o;Not a single applicant to date has seen fit to take his or her case to a hearing.&rdqascii117o;

Bascii117t Hascii117thart&rsqascii117o;s lawyers were ascii117nimpressed with that argascii117ment, saying: &ldqascii117o;No claimant has proceeded to a hearing, not becaascii117se applicants are satisfied with the compensation scheme, bascii117t becaascii117se [News International] controls the scheme and decides whom to accept into it.

&ldqascii117o;This is not a sign of sascii117ccess… The system is ascii117nfair to claimants and effectively prevents claimants from having their day in coascii117rt and from getting to the bottom of defendants&rsqascii117o; wrongdoing towards them.&rdqascii117o;

Hascii117thart believes it makes sense to try the case in California. Her lawyers argascii117e that the case presents serioascii117s qascii117estions aboascii117t fascii117ndamental rights of privacy in the ascii85nited States.

She claims that the News of the World&rsqascii117o;s interest in her voicemails &ldqascii117o;derived entirely from her personal and professional relationships to celebrities&rdqascii117o;, sascii117ch as Jolie and her hascii117sband Brad Pitt.

Hascii117thart was the doascii117ble for Jolie in the film Mr and Mrs Smith. She became godmother to Jolie&rsqascii117o;s first biological child.
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