Day 308 - 28 Nov 96 - Page 23


     
     1
     2   MR. JUSTICE BELL: What was the date of the statement again?
     3
     4   MR. MORRIS:  I cannot remember.
     5
     6   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I thought you just gave it then.
     7
     8   MR. MORRIS:   7th March, I think.  I am trying to skip through
     9        it as quick as I can.  It is at the top of page 41.
    10
    11   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.
    12
    13   MR. MORRIS: -- on that day.  And then he said, "Do you not think
    14        that it is reprehensible conduct that you know that
    15        something is incorrect but you still carried on sending it
    16        out?"  Answer, "I think it is a mistake and it was wrong
    17        and it has been dealt with in accordance with the proper
    18        procedure, and I am sorry for that", and, as we have heard,
    19        that is only after extensive questioning.  And then,
    20        basically, as we all know, they have continued to say the
    21        same things, the same press release -- I am doing this in
    22        chronological order.
    23
    24        On day 245, pages 50 and 51, he was asked, "So in your view
    25        all the statements that are in the fact sheet" -- that is
    26        the London Greenpeace fact sheet -- "are equally bad?"
    27        Answer, "Yes."  Question, "Or equally inaccurate?"
    28        Answer, "Yes".  This is an incredible point of view from a
    29        person in the position of Mr. Preston, who is actually in
    30        charge, effectively, of bringing this case.
    31
    32        Then he says at line 22, "I think they are all damaging."
    33        Then he says, "I think they are all terrible, individually
    34        or collectively, starting with those headlines".  This is
    35        the headline across the top of the fact sheet which
    36        I wanted to point out.  Of course, if he is particularly
    37        concerned about those, then, as he later says on page 51
    38        line 14, "Did you authorise the decision to send legal
    39        letters threatening Veggies over the leaflet?"
    40        Answer,"Sure".
    41
    42        So he was the person who authorised the action against
    43        Veggies Limited for identical fact sheets to
    44        London Greenpeace, with the headings, and, effectively, he
    45        accepted their continued distribution with minor amendments
    46        to the text in the rainforest section, and no complaints
    47        about headlines, no complaints about any other parts of it.
    48
    49        So, he personally was involved and would have full
    50        knowledge of the legal correspondence with Veggies. 
    51 
    52        If it is any help, on page 50 line 45, "I wanted to stop 
    53        the repetition of that which is contained in that leaflet",
    54        he said, referring to the fact sheet, "you folks talk about
    55        half a million being distributed worldwide."  Then he
    56        clearly, even by that stage, cannot distinguish between
    57        different leaflets, and I think this is a feature of the
    58        Plaintiffs' case.  OK, that is that.
    59
    60        The next point is day 246, page 16, top of the page.  This

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