News of the World hacking scandal in court today
The News of the World phone hacking scandal will go to the High Court in Britain later for a judge to decide how the case should proceed.
Recently, a number of alleged victims have obtained rulings over the disclosure of information by the Metropolitan Police and Vodafone in pursuit of their damages claims for breach of privacy.
The orders related to material forfeited by private detective Glenn Mulcaire who, with News of the World reporter Clive Goodman, was jailed over royal phone taps in 2007, and data relating to other mobile phone users.
At the end of last week, eight people who had made claims, including actress Sienna Miller and former culture secretary Tessa Jowell, received apologies from the newspaper.
But Ms Miller's lawyers said that she was awaiting disclosure and would consider her next steps once it was provided.
With the first of the trials in the action due on November 7 - that brought by commentator Andy Gray - Mr Justice Vos is now expected to hear day-long submissions on what should happen next.
It emerged this week that News International had written to another nine claimants asking for further evidence that their voicemails had been intercepted so a decision could be made on whether they too were entitled to an apology and compensation.
It has been estimated that News International has set aside £20m (€22.6m) for payouts.
Last week, detectives conducting a criminal investigation into the allegations arrested the paper's chief reporter and its former head of news.
Neville Thurlbeck, 50, and Ian Edmondson, 42, were questioned by Scotland Yard detectives when they voluntarily attended separate police stations in south-west London.
Yesterday, senior reporter James Weatherup became the third journalist from the newspaper to be questioned. He was released on bail until September.
