Day 280 - 17 Jul 96 - Page 36
1
2 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I have to say presumably there is no reason
3 to doubt it. If there is going to be an argument about it
4 then the more I know about the maker of the statement.
5
6 MR. RAMPTON: I did say a moment ago that plainly my impression
7 was she was plainly an expert.
8
9 MR. JUSTICE BELL: May I have it back? (Same handed) Do you
10 want to say anything Ms. Steel?
11
12 MS. STEEL: No, I agreed with what Mr. Morris said.
13
14 (Ruling followed-- see separate transcript)
15
16 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I have to say that at this stage in the
17 proceedings I would rather that the whole statement is read
18 and that we argue about admissibility as part of what will,
19 no doubt, be an argument in relation to weight in due
20 course in any event. If Mr. Rampton has nothing more to
21 say about that, then the whole of the Professor Hecht's
22 supplementary statement dated the 10th July, 1996 may be
23 read. There is no need to read the curriculum vitae. You
24 can refer me to the particular parts of that if you want in
25 due course.
26
27 MR. MORRIS: No, I understand.
28
29 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do you want to do that now?
30
31 MR. MORRIS: Yes.
32
33 MR. JUSTICE BELL: If you do, we will take the five minute break
34 and you think about what we are going to go on to next.
35
36 (Short adjournment)
37
38 MR. MORRIS: Well, I will read the statement of Professor
39 Susanna Hecht. "Supplementary statement of Professor
40 Susanna Hecht, 10th July, 1996." I should say she is in
41 the USA and therefore I am reading this under the Civil
42 Evidence Act.
43
44 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
45
46 MR. MORRIS: "1. I have recently read the statement of Senor
47 Morganti detailing the collection points/villages which are
48 the sources in Goias State of McDonald's beef supplies and
49 I have just reviewed the testimony of the Sue Branford
50 (trial transcript day 251 pages 16-27). I can corroborate
51 her evidence contained in those pages from my own
52 experience and research. This material is also widely
53 reviewed in the academic literature.
54
55 2. The Barra de Garcas municipio (a huge county) has
56 historically been quite famously contested, and was in
57 forest when I visited there for my dissertation research in
58 1978. I have visited this region five other times in the
59 years 1976, 1978, 1982, 1984 and 1987 and personally
60 witnessed the replacement of forest with cattle ranching.
