Day 198 - 08 Dec 95 - Page 40
1 stores, for instance, Bath and you should not be reluctant
2 (and, indeed, Mr. Morris, I do not think you have been), to
3 discard witnesses in relation to individual stores unless
4 you think they really add to the impact of your case on
5 employment.
6
7 MR. RAMPTON: There is quite a lot of leeway so far as the
8 schedule is concerned, because, as your Lordship will
9 remember, though I respectfully agree with your Lordship
10 that it is highly desirable we finish Colchester off at the
11 beginning of next term, I had then scheduled Bath to be
12 dealt with the next two days of which -- it may start after
13 your Lordship comes back because your Lordship has two days
14 off doing something else, I think, in January, 18th and
15 19th I have got down. After that there are three weeks to
16 fit in Bath, or the remains of Bath, and any other
17 employment witnesses. In fact, it goes through to 14th
18 February because your Lordship gave those three days, 12th,
19 13th and 14th, as I wrote down "allowance for overrun".
20 Then there are five days off for Mr. Morris' half term and
21 preparation for rainforest and we do not start Mr. ------
22
23 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I said that that might be three days if the
24 12th, 13th and 14th, or some of those days, were
25 preparation days as well.
26
27 MR. RAMPTON: Yes. My Lord, I am not suggesting this is written
28 in stone. The only thing we have done, written in stone,
29 is Mr. Cesca on 22nd February, but that does leave plenty
30 of time to polish off employment. But, as I say, what we
31 need to know is when the Defendants propose calling their
32 witnesses and, indeed, which witnesses so that we can
33 organise our own evidence.
34
35 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. Mr. Morris and Ms. Steel, I am
36 certainly not giving any kind of direction today, even if
37 I had power to do it, but unless you say a week today that
38 you are going to call someone you will not be able to, all
39 I am doing is encouraging you to reach a decision on that
40 day so that matters can be scheduled more easily after the
41 Christmas break.
42
43 MS. STEEL: I think, I mean, if I can just say, we want to
44 schedule our witnesses and Mr. Morris, in particular, is
45 trying to do it so I do not why Mr. Rampton has to moan so
46 much.
47
48 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Let us say no more about that now. Just
49 pause a moment. Are there any other matters because -----
50
51 MR. RAMPTON: Unless your Lordship would like me to suggest a
52 possible agenda for next Friday, but I can easily leave
53 that over.
54
55 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What I think the best -- have you made a list
56 of the topics you think should be dealt with on -----
57
58 MR. MORRIS: Not yet, no.
59
60 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No. What I suggest is we break off now.
