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.
