Day 157 - 18 Jul 95 - Page 57


     
     1        going through the ----
     2
     3   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  So many p a sheet?
     4
     5   MR. RAMPTON:  Yes, that is right -- than going through the
     6        process laid down by the rules.  As your Lordship -----
     7
     8   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  In fact, I should say, I understand from
     9        Barnett Lenton that the figure which they gave for press
    10        copies of transcripts, which have already been produced,
    11        is, in fact, so much a sheet -- it may be 20p a sheet or
    12        whatever it is -- which tends to come out at, in normal
    13        proceedings a transcript of a day's proceedings was 100
    14        pages, it very often can be 90 or 100 -----
    15
    16   MR. RAMPTON:  Not, alas, in this case.
    17
    18   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  -- although we have often been clocking up 60
    19        or 70 ---
    20
    21   MR. RAMPTON:  Yes.
    22
    23   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  -- then that would, if it were, for instance,
    24        20p a sheet, it would work out at about œ20 per day.  20p
    25        per sheet might be, from my recollection of these matters,
    26        a reasonable photocopying charge.
    27
    28   MR. RAMPTON:  Yes.
    29
    30   MR. MORRIS:  I think the actual figure is 26 pence a sheet.
    31
    32   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Whatever it may be, but it is much closer to
    33        a simple photo copying charge than anything else.
    34
    35   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, there would be no reason to have either
    36        of these rules if that right were obtainable compulsory by
    37        the process of discovery.   It would, in effect, make a
    38        complete nonsense of it and, as your Lordship put the other
    39        day, it would drive a coach and horses through Order 68
    40        rules 1 and 5.
    41
    42        My Lord, finally this, unless there is any particular
    43        matter your Lordship wishes me to deal with.  I have now
    44        seen the Defendants' letter to the Lord Chancellor.  It is
    45        notable for its omission of any reference to our letter of
    46        17th July.
    47
    48   MS. STEEL:  Since it was written on ----
    49
    50   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It was written on 15th. 
    51 
    52   MR. RAMPTON:  Then that is not surprising.  It is, however, the 
    53        fact that it makes no reference to the letter of 17th
    54        July.  We will immediately send the Lord Chancellor a copy
    55        of that letter of 17th July, so that he can see for himself
    56        whether or not any unfairness (I say "any" if any) which
    57        the Defendants may perceive they are suffering is not
    58        immediately curable by their own agreement to give what we
    59        would submit is an entirely reasonable and sensible
    60        undertaking not to misuse the transcript.

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