The Court of Appeal has handed down judgment in R (Duke of Sussex) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 548, dismissing the appeal.
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, was appealing the High Court’s judgment to dismiss his claim for judicial review challenging the decision of RAVEC that he should no longer be given the same degree of publicly funded protective security, provided by the police, when in Great Britain, following his stepping-back from his role as a working member of the Royal Family in early 2020. RAVEC is the body given responsibility by the Home Secretary for decision-making in relation to matters of protective security in Great Britain.
The Court of Appeal, in a judgment of the Master of the Rolls, held that RAVEC had had a good reason to depart from its usual policy of seeking a Risk Management Board assessment before taking such decisions, because of the particular bespoke processes which were going to be put in place for the Duke. It rejected the Home Secretary’s argument that the Court’s assessment of a good reason to depart from policy should be on the rationality standard, but holding that a spectrum of judicial scrutiny would apply. The Duke’s arguments of irrationality by comparison to the cases of others were dismissed.
The open judgment can be read here.
