Day 062 - 06 Dec 94 - Page 70
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2 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That is another point, might I suggest. If
3 we see how we progress to the end of this week, even if it
4 looks as if there would in theory be time to get Professor
5 Jackson and --- is it, Mr. Clark?
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7 MR. RAMPTON: It is either Dr. Clark or Mr. Clark, I cannot
8 remember.
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10 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes -- in theory in on Monday, 20th, it might
11 be more sensible to leave them for the time being -- I have
12 not heard what Mr. Rampton says about that -- and content
13 ourselves with finishing these packaging witnesses, hearing
14 Mr. Fernando Gomez Gonzales, for whom arrangements have
15 been made to come across the Atlantic for that week for
16 sometime.
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18 If Mr. Hopkins can give evidence on one of the days at the
19 beginning of that week -- do not forget he is your witness
20 so you do not have cross-examination to prepare, and I do
21 not know how long Mr. Rampton will be with him; he might
22 not be very, very long -- and then you are left a bit of
23 time for argument about the other procedural matters which
24 you want to argue before the end of term.
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26 I will merely express the view at the moment, although I am
27 sure everyone is anxious not to break arrangements which
28 have been made for witnesses -- if we can do all that, if
29 it means that Professor Jackson and Mr. or Dr. Clark have
30 to go over to next term, then we may have to be satisfied
31 with that.
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33 MR. RAMPTON: Yes, I would add this (which I must add) having
34 said what I did say to your Lordship, as usual I spoke
35 without asking Mrs. Brinley-Codd first, my understanding is
36 that a message has already gone to Professor Jackson
37 Dr. Clark to ask them whether they would not mind
38 shifting. So, that may make a hole. What we are very
39 anxious is that we should not actually just sort of fizzle
40 out into nothing during those three days, 19th, 20th and
41 21st, having regard to the heavy burden which awaits us all
42 at the beginning of next term -- by that I mean the number
43 of witnesses that still have to be called.
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45 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Let us take stock again at the end of the
46 week. Let us concentrate on this week on completing the
47 evidence of Mr. Van Erp, Mr. Oakley and Ms. Dibb. That
48 does not seem to me to be too great a challenge. Let us
49 make that the first objective for this week. You will then
50 have such part of the weekend as you care to use and Monday
51 and Tuesday before Mr. Gonzales is called.
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53 I begin to feel quite strongly that if we concentrate on
54 completing his evidence and tying up loose ends, then that
55 is a reasonable expectation for the rest of this term.
56 But, no doubt, if Mr. Hopkins could come in, say, on
57 December 19th, or something of that kind, so I would have
58 thought his evidence could be completed in a day -- that is
59 a reasonable expectation, is it not?
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