Day 132 - 07 Jun 95 - Page 54
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2 Remembering Mr. Fairgrieve's evidence-in-chief and the
3 extra questioning we had the other day, I do not think
4 there is too much to master there and there does not seem
5 to be too much to master with Mr. Jardina and Mr. Brown.
6
7 MS. STEEL: Mr. Fairgrieve was originally scheduled for three
8 days and he is not employment as well. We would prefer,
9 because there is a lot of documentation and things
10 surrounding him, to have Mr. Brown and Mr. Jardina if that
11 is course the court wants to take.
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13 MR. JUSTICE BELL: The other thing is bear in mind what I said
14 before the holiday break about a division up of your
15 resources, so that although you are separate parties and
16 I do not forget that, a bit of thought as to how you can
17 divide your labour and, therefore, the preparation for
18 cross-examination will probably be well invested. What
19 I would urge Mr. Rampton to do is to have available to be
20 called on Thursday and Friday next by preference Mr. Brown
21 and Mr. Jardina and otherwise Mr. Fairgrieve.
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23 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, I will do my very best to comply with
24 that indication. However, I do have to say two things.
25 One I have already said which this is not the first time
26 that Mr. Fairgrieve was due to be recalled or might have
27 been recalled. I must assume as a matter of ordinary
28 fairness that the Defendants were ready to cross-examine
29 him when he was last due to come back. It is quite evident
30 now, of course, that they are not. The other thing is
31 this. I will tell your Lordship this because of course it
32 is important. The reason why I think it is important is
33 because I think Ms. Steel has tried to pull the wool over
34 your Lordship's eyes. True it is that the Defendants
35 divide up their labour. It is quite apparent that
36 Mr. Morris, quite properly, decided or Ms. Steel agreed
37 that he should take on the burden of the cross-examination
38 of Mr. Purslow. I think Mr. Steel asked about three
39 questions at the end. We have just had a 10-day holiday.
40 I do not know what Mr. Morris was doing on Monday, but I do
41 know that Ms. Steel was not preparing for
42 cross-examination, for example, of Mr. Stein or Mrs. Meade
43 because she was present at an anti-McDonald's demonstration
44 in Denmark Hill. I have no objection to her taking part in
45 anti-McDonald's demonstrations for as long as she likes,
46 unless enjoined by the court to cease doing so. What I do
47 object to is she should use her time in that way so as to
48 prevent herself from preparing for cross-examination, let
49 us say, of Mr. Fairgrieve or anybody else who may come to
50 court as a witness.
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52 MS. STEEL: Mr. Rampton as usual is making ridiculous comments.
53 I worked all of the rest of the break that we have had
54 including the Sundays on this case. I think you stated on
55 previous occasions that we obviously cannot be expected to
56 work 24 hours a day seven days a week; it is just not
57 possible. The Plaintiffs have asked for days off in order
58 that they can go and interview witnesses. That has been
59 granted; that is fair enough.
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