Jude Law joins News Corp phone hacking claimants

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http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/05/20/uk-newscorp-hacking-trial-idUKTRE74J4F820110520

(Reuters) - Jude Law will sue the News of the World over allegations of phone hacking next year in a case to set guidelines over damages and which could involve senior management at the tabloid.

A judge hearing the case into phone hacking at the best-selling tabloid, part of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, selected Law and four others to act as lead cases in a trial which will begin in January next year.

The judge said it was crucial to establish how widespread phone hacking was at the newspaper and the degree of senior management involvement, as this could influence the level of any damages awarded.

Law's case was included because it covers allegations of harassment, resulted in numerous stories and his disclosures had pointed to a senior executive at the newspaper, his lawyers said. Lawyers for the newspaper said they were unaware of this.