Day 260 - 11 Jun 96 - Page 58
1 because there is a hierarchy and we are going to be
2 overruled if we do make a decision"?
3 A. No. That was the impression I received, because no
4 decisions were made and there was no real discussion.
5
6 Q. So, it could be that, in actual fact, people just felt that
7 there were not enough of the kind of regular attenders
8 there to make a decision?
9 A. You could be correct, yes.
10
11 MR. MORRIS: Presumably, the group had been carrying on fine
12 without me. I only attended on 2nd August, according to
13 you?
14 A. Yes.
15
16 Q. The group had been carrying on fine without me, all the
17 other meetings you attended?
18 A. Yes.
19
20 MS. STEEL: OK. If we move on to 16th August.
21 A. Yes.
22
23 MR. MORRIS: I am not sure if 16th August comes up in the
24 statement or not.
25
26 MS. STEEL: Can I just say that in respect of what is here, we
27 totally disagree with the account of what is said in
28 paragraph 4; but as it is not in evidence I do not need to
29 challenge it, I presume.
30
31 MR. RAMPTON: No, of course not. I would not dream of advancing
32 that as evidence in this case.
33
34 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I would not concern yourself with that.
35
36 MS. STEEL: It is completely inaccurate.
37
38 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It has not come to public attention; and
39 I have already said that unless some admissible evidence is
40 brought and the relevance is explained to me, I do not see
41 it as an issue in this case anyway, and I am not making any
42 assumption adverse to you because that sort of thing has
43 crept into the documents, or something Mr. Preston said,
44 I think.
45
46 MS. STEEL: I mean, I could quite easy cross-examine -----
47
48 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Quite frankly, I would not bring it out.
49 I am not holding it against you and it is not in the public
50 arena.
51
52 MS. STEEL: It is based on the fact that it is actually
53 something that he was trying to listen to, as opposed to --
54 he has quite clearly got it completely wrong. But, anyway,
55 I will leave it.
56
57 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You have to decide whether you challenge that
58 just as a challenge to Mr. Bishop's credit or you think it
59 is better just to leave it alone. You may think the second
60 course is the more advisable.
