19 victims of phone hacking by Britain's now defunct News of the World tabloid have reached settlements with Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, lawyers have said.
Actor Jude Law and the former British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott were among the claimants whose settlements were confirmed by their lawyers at the High Court in London.
Lawyers for the claimants said the majority of people pursuing damages claims had now settled but that others would press ahead with a trial scheduled for next month.
Other settlements confirmed today were Jude Law's ex-wife Sadie Frost, Chelsea Premier League footballer Ashley Cole and Australian singer Dannii Minogue.
Settlements announced in court generally ranged from around £30,000 to £60,000, while some were not revealed.
Actor Jude Law accepted £130,000 after he was physically followed abroad as well as in Britain.
"It is clear that I, along with many others, was kept under constant surveillance for a number of years," the actor said in a statement.
"No aspect of my private life was safe from intrusion by News Group newspapers, including the lives of my children.”
"I believe in a free press but what News Group did was an abuse of its freedoms. They were prepared to do anything to sell their newspapers and to make money" he added.
News Group Newspapers, the publisher of the News of the World, has already settled dozens of compensation claims.
It has also set up a compensation scheme for victims of phone hacking in a bid to avoid further costly civil lawsuits.
Police said last year that they believe about 800 people had their voicemail hacked into by the News of the World, which Mr Murdoch shut down in July as the hacking scandal spiralled.
There was no immediate comment from News International, the parent company of News Group.
