Day 284 - 22 Oct 96 - Page 03
1 discussions, it does not actually... I mean, they pay an
2 extra œ20 for our copies on top of what they are paying
3 themselves, and obviously we can pay that œ20 and get it
4 three weeks later, or it can be of assistance to the whole
5 court if McDonald's would agree to waive their legal
6 advantage and say to Barnett Lenton that we can purchase
7 them at œ20 a day immediately, the following day, rather
8 than having to wait the three weeks.
9
10 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Well, if you want to speak to
11 Mrs. Brinley-Codd about that or write her a letter about
12 that, by all means do so. This is all part of the normal
13 interchange between parties in litigation. Quite frankly,
14 I don't think I need it. I thought I got a pretty good
15 note of what Mr. Morris said, or the parts which I thought
16 might bite on my decision in due course, and as you and he
17 go through your submissions, I expect to continue to do
18 that. So I do not need it.
19
20 MR. MORRIS: I would like to ask the plaintiffs, through the
21 court, are they prepared to allow us to buy the transcripts
22 for œ25 tomorrow?
23
24 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I am not going to be used as a conduit pipe
25 for conversations which you can perfectly well carry on
26 yourself. You must make the request directly, and not
27 through me, or put it in a letter if you want. But, you
28 know, there is a limit to how much you can use the judge
29 for your own purposes.
30
31 MR. MORRIS: It is a benefit to the whole court.
32
33 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It is not a benefit to me. It is entirely a
34 matter for McDonald's to decide, whether to do that or
35 not. If you want to make a fuss about it because you think
36 it is justified to make a fuss about it, you must make it
37 not through me.
38
39 MS. STEEL: It is a lot easier to raise it here and now rather
40 than having to write letters.
41
42 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Maybe. I have made my position clear about
43 it. Daily transcripts are a mixed blessing at the best of
44 times. I can see that there may well be advantages in
45 relation to getting the evidence exactly right. I have to
46 say I would be quite relieved not to feel obliged to read
47 transcripts of submissions when I reckon I have a pretty
48 good note of them. That really is my response to what
49 Mr. Rampton has to say. I think you would serve yourself
50 best if, whatever fight you have with McDonald's or Barlow
51 Lyde & Gilbert about that out of court, just concentrate on
52 making your points to me as best you can. That is what I
53 want you to do.
54
55 MR. MORRIS: Just a couple of things before I start. I did
56 check up the references to previous transcripts, which
57 I have got here, and it was on 21st December 1993 on
58 page 27, line between D and ----
59
60 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Which of the references is this?
