Day 308 - 28 Nov 96 - Page 41
1 evidence which the Defendants have advanced by way of
2 justification, and what the Plaintiffs have said by way of
3 rebuttal.
4
5 My Lord, I said I would not say much about the merits, but
6 I will sit down with this observation -- there is also a
7 key, and I think I mentioned that -- I sit down with this
8 observation: for once in my long career at the Bar, I am
9 actually -- and this is a comment on the merits -- quite
10 relieved to find that, for once, what I said in opening is
11 not much betrayed by the evidence.
12
13 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
14
15 MR. RAMPTON: It is entirely a matter for your Lordship, when we
16 come back to court and thereafter, the manner in which your
17 Lordship will want me to deal with the various bits of the
18 submissions.
19
20 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What I propose to do is to rise now and start
21 reading what you have provided me with. Everyone should be
22 prepared to resume at 10.30 on Monday morning, but if by
23 about the middle of tomorrow, I think I would appreciate
24 more time after the weekend as reading time, I will ask
25 Mr. Glenn to pass messages around. So, as soon as I do
26 rise, I will ask Mr. Glenn to stay and I will ask him to
27 make sure he knows where he can contact people early
28 tomorrow afternoon.
29
30 MR. RAMPTON: I am grateful. The only other thing I should say,
31 as your Lordship reads through you are bound to come upon
32 some typographical errors. I do not make much of an
33 apology for that, because with a document of this size it
34 is bound to happen. Also, there are still, I think
35 particularly in employment, one or two missing references.
36 I will supply those, if your Lordship does not have those
37 already, in the course of next week.
38
39 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Very well. We will see where we get to.
40
41 MR. MORRIS: Can I say something about the timetable in terms of
42 our legal submissions?
43
44 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
45
46 MR. MORRIS: Obviously, we have got to prioritise reading this
47 and taking this in.
48
49 MR. JUSTICE BELL: If I can make a suggestion about that: you
50 have, in fact, had your say on all the topics in this case,
51 with these two riders, which we previously discussed, that
52 if you think you ought to have an opportunity to respond on
53 counterclaim, I have said you can apply to me about that
54 and I will consider that. I have also said that I will
55 give you an opportunity to say what you will, although
56 I may have to put restrictions on the time to be taken in
57 relation to the law. Ms. Steel indicated that you are
58 hoping to put any submissions, or further submissions, on
59 the law in writing; and I urge you to do that.
60
