Day 311 - 06 Dec 96 - Page 16
1 justified in repeating a rhetorical question I asked on
2 Wednesday: would an ordinary English jury think that the
3 rates of pay which those people were getting, the majority
4 of the workforce, was bad -- or were bad, I should say?
5
6 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
7
8 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, I will not give any references for any of
9 this, because it is all in the various references which we
10 have given your Lordship already.
11
12 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Thank you.
13
14 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, now I subject myself on whatever it is
15 to -----
16
17 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Are you content to continue to deal with
18 matters that way?
19
20 MR. RAMPTON: Yes, of course.
21
22 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It seems concentrated and, therefore,
23 I certainly do not take offence at interrogation. The fact
24 is that, as Ms. Steel and Mr. Morris went along with their
25 oral submissions, I was able to ask them queries as they
26 cropped up; whereas if submissions are in writing, the
27 questioning is much more intensive.
28
29 MR. RAMPTON: I do not mind that at all. It saves an awful lot
30 of time.
31
32 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. On page 5, there is a reference to the
33 evidence (which I remember very well) of Mr. Nicholson
34 saying he had never seen the Veggies fact sheet before it
35 was handed up to him in cross-examination. What, if any,
36 evidence was there about who had instructed Barlow's in
37 1987 and 1988 over the Veggies leaflet -- because there was
38 some evidence that Mr. Nicholson generally dealt with the
39 solicitors vis-a-vis litigation, or potential litigation.
40
41 MR. RAMPTON: I do not know that there was any evidence.
42
43 MR. JUSTICE BELL: There was no evidence that he was involved in
44 that, but there was no evidence who else was, was there?
45
46 MR. RAMPTON: I think that is right.
47
48 MS. STEEL: In fact, I think Mr. Nicholson did actually say he
49 was involved with that.
50
51 MR. RAMPTON: I do not remember that. I do not say it is not
52 right. I just do not remember.
53
54 MS. STEEL: I seem to remember looking it up only the other
55 week, and I did actually mean to bring it up at the time.
56 I will find the note I have of it.
57
58 MR. JUSTICE BELL: If you find the reference, give it to me,
59 will you?
60
