Day 136 - 16 Jun 95 - Page 29
1 sooner one knows that either of the parties would like to
2 do it, the earlier enquiries can be made -- that there were
3 witnesses of yours who were available in late September and
4 not at another time or it would be difficult to call them
5 at another time, you must say so as soon as possible.
6
7 MR. RAMPTON: I said what I did, my Lord, because I think I had
8 understood your Lordship to say at some stage that this
9 year your Lordship was intending, other things being equal,
10 not to sit at all during the long vacation.
11
12 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No, that was my intention. I am quite
13 willing to sit, I would like to restrict it to the second
14 half of September. Apart from, hopefully, having something
15 of a break, I am sure everyone can use some of the time, or
16 quite a lot of the time probably between the end of July
17 and the middle of September working on the case, and that
18 includes me.
19
20 But I am keen to get on with the case. I would be willing
21 to sit, provided appropriate arrangements could be made in
22 the second half of September. If any party has a
23 particular reason for wanting to do that so that a
24 particular witness or witnesses, for instance, can be
25 heard, I would like them to say as soon as possible.
26
27 I mean, if any of the employment witnesses are students,
28 for instance, who will be returning to studies at the end
29 of September or the beginning of October, I would certainly
30 be willing, provided it is not impossible for the other
31 party, the opposing party, to dispose of them. Right. Is
32 there anything else or shall we resume on Monday morning?
33
34 MR. MORRIS: Regarding the summer break which, obviously, we
35 certainly would hope to have the full break, but my son is
36 off school in the last week of July and, specifically,
37 I was hoping to take him to a camp which starts on the
38 Wednesday which would be the last week of our planned
39 term.
40
41 I would be prepared to come back earlier a few days before
42 the first week in October to compensate, if that was
43 appropriate, in order to ensure finishing on the Tuesday in
44 the last week of July which would kill two birds with one
45 stone, so to speak, because he is off school and there is
46 something specific I would like him to go to, so maybe
47 Plaintiffs can bear that in mind.
48
49 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I think you should raise that again when we
50 are doing scheduling. If it appears to me that there is an
51 argument for finishing earlier this term than would
52 otherwise be, that would be a very strong reason in my mind
53 for us starting early in the autumn. Mr. Rampton, is there
54 any difficulty, so far as you personally are concerned,
55 with starting -----
56
57 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, it would depend, for me personally, only
58 the matter of a holiday. I hope to be back in London
59 full-time from, I think it is about, 17th September. So,
60 if we are talking about a few days added on at the front of
