Day 103 - 14 Mar 95 - Page 71
1 have indicated that you expect to start again I think on
2 Thursday after the break. It would be very helpful if we
3 could have the rest of that week, knowing that would be
4 spare which gives us effectively an extra four days of
5 break. That is one thing. I think that Plaintiffs want to
6 start the employment issue next straight after Easter which
7 obviously is a huge issue and a large number of documents,
8 and we have said that certainly Mr. Fairweather and Mr.
9 Bateman ----
10
11 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just pause there because what I would like to
12 do is when I have risen you can be given a copy of whatever
13 it is Mr. Rampton was handing to you a moment ago and next
14 week I suggest you can come back to me on that scheduling
15 when you have had time to think about it. Since the
16 question of employment was raised about a week ago I have
17 in fact re-read every word of all the statements on both
18 sides, not all of the documentation which might apply but
19 I have re-read every one of all your live and Civil
20 Evidence Act witnesses and re-read every word of every
21 statement in the two yellow bundles with the Plaintiffs'
22 witnesses. So, I have reminded myself of the sorts of
23 areas which might be covered by those witnesses. We can
24 discuss it next week with a schedule in front of us upon
25 which you have comment and if you really are saying that
26 Easter is too short you have to tell me just what you have
27 to do before, for instance, we embark on the first
28 witnesses and the extent to which you can be prepared as
29 you go along.
30
31 You have got to understand that I do know something about
32 the stresses and strains of litigation and the
33 preparation. The one thing I do know is that although you
34 do your best to prepare a case in advance, you have also
35 got to continue to prepare it as you go along and as each
36 new witness or set of witnesses appears on the horizon. In
37 a long case staging is very important and staging of your
38 preparation. I do not think one can just make general
39 declarations of principle about it. So what I process is
40 that we come back to it perhaps on Tuesday of next week
41 when you have had time to consider the proposed schedule.
42
43 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, there will not be any evidence in court
44 until Thursday of next week. If the Defendants manage to
45 finish Mr. Bennett in two days, he deals only with Jarret
46 after all, the first three days of next week are clear
47 because they do not call a witness until Mr. North on
48 Thursday. Your Lordship should have Mr. Morris' schedule
49 somewhere there.
50
51 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, that is right. I had overlooked that.
52
53 MR. RAMPTON: I am perfectly happy to come back and discuss the
54 scheduling at any time, but it might be better not to
55 encroach on the Defendants' preparation time.
56
57 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I was not suggesting that we just come back
58 to talk about scheduling.
59
60 MR. RAMPTON: Maybe, my Lord, we could discuss it on Thursday
