Day 278 - 11 Jul 96 - Page 45


     
     1        particularly surprising if, because of the amount of stress
     2        we are under, from time to time, we -- well, me, really,
     3        has been, as I said the other day, a bit short fused.
     4        Particularly, if my personal character is being attacked,
     5        as it has been by Mr. Rampton in particular, I am likely to
     6        defend myself and argue strongly against it.
     7
     8             I also wanted to say about some of the things that
     9        were said yesterday.  I note that throughout this case, and
    10        even before this trial started, there has been all sorts of
    11        veiled assertions about myself and Mr. Morris trying to
    12        intimidate people or, you know, what have you.  And we had
    13        the business with what I was supposed to have said to
    14        Michelle Hooker when I spoke to her on the phone and she
    15        denied who she was.  And just to say that all these things
    16        that have been put forward to try and slur our characters,
    17        not once has Mr. Rampton called a witness to get in the
    18        witness box and say any of these things.  And if he had the
    19        courage of his convictions, you know, he would do that.
    20        The reason the plaintiffs have not done that is because
    21        they are all based on just a pure attempt to smear us,
    22        which I completely reject.
    23
    24   MR. MORRIS:  Could I just speak to Miss Steel about a legal
    25        matter?
    26
    27   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No.  Speak to her at close of play and then
    28        tell me about it in the morning.
    29
    30   MS. STEEL:  Can I just say about the things that were said to
    31        have happened in other hearings?  Obviously, as I say, Mr.
    32        Rampton is not calling any evidence.  I am sure that in
    33        private conversations with Mr. Morris after hearings I may
    34        have expressed my frustration, and that may have included
    35        some swear words.  But if Mr. Rampton wants to eavesdrop on
    36        our private conversations, that is his problem.  I have
    37        heard him swearing, but you know.  And in fact he has
    38        actually sworn directly at us before now.  I do not really
    39        see that it is anything relevant.
    40
    41             I have certainly never "turned the air blue" as he
    42        described it, sworn out loud in general across the Appeal
    43        Court or outside Master Grant's court, and I would
    44        certainly never have used the C word which Mr. Rampton
    45        referred to yesterday, as I consider it to be a sexist term
    46        and something which just does not occur in my vocabulary.
    47
    48             The other thing about the description about what
    49        happened with Master Grant is I did not remember the
    50        specific hearing.  I did remember a hearing in front of
    51        Master Grant.  Mr. Rampton, as part of his description
    52        about what had occurred which I, you know, which is
    53        completely incorrect, as I said yesterday, as part of his
    54        description he said that it was a hearing where our case on
    55        rainforest was going to be struck out unless we got some
    56        pleadings, or unless we got -- I will find what he said
    57        actually.
    58
    59   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It was suggested that unless you served
    60        statements during a period of time, I think, or may be it

Prev Next Index