Day 279 - 12 Jul 96 - Page 26
1 particular. So, it may be useful to have an indication of
2 a date beyond which you are not willing to consider any
3 documentary evidence, so that we know, you know, how much
4 pressure and how quickly, how much harassment we have to
5 give the US Department of Labour to get that information.
6
7 But also, generally, obviously we would like a period
8 to check all our documentation and to check that there is
9 nothing serious that we have missed out.
10
11 MR. JUSTICE BELL: At the moment I do not see why I should
12 consider anything beyond the end of next week. The reason
13 for that is that the sooner everyone goes away and
14 concentrates, apart from my break, complete break they may
15 want to have, on getting ready for their final submissions,
16 the better. What I do not want you to do is come back in
17 dribs and drabs. If something vital happens at any time
18 between the end of next week and the beginning of next
19 term, if it demands my coming back into court before the
20 end of this month or, in effect, any time in September, I
21 would be prepared to do so.
22
23 But, the essence is this, that I do not see why any
24 new material needs to be introduced beyond the end of next
25 week. I have got to pull down the shutters some time save,
26 as I have said before, save insofar as it involves the
27 formal proof of documents on Mrs Brindley-Codd's list or
28 any equivalent list which you produce. That is not
29 evidence as to the actual facts in the letters, but
30 formalities, such as whether it came from someone who was
31 under a duty to collect it, and things like that, which go
32 to admissibility.
33
34 MR. MORRIS: I mean, we were hoping, in the light of me not
35 giving evidence, that there would be some preparation of
36 days where we could actually start to compile our list of
37 documents that we want the plaintiffs to approve and do
38 these other bits and pieces.
39
40 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You can do that. That does not affect
41 evidence this term. What it looks like at the moment is
42 that we are going to break off before very long now, you
43 are not going to be in court on Monday, you are not going
44 to be in court on the Tuesday, you may be on Wednesday and
45 Thursday and/or Friday. But hopefully then we will part
46 company, until a time I want to discuss either today or at
47 the end of next week, when we come back for any formal
48 evidence to prove documents and then get on with the
49 submissions.
50
51 MR. MORRIS: Yes, actually I was going to say about --
52
53 MR. JUSTICE BELL: When we go away at the end of next week,
54 there will be no more evidence, subject to something quite
55 extraordinary happening and save the formal evidence with
56 regard to proving documents of either side.
57
58 MR. MORRIS: Right. Can I just say about our application to
59 join the third parties?
60
