Day 246 - 09 May 96 - Page 38
1 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No. I would like you to turn it over in your
2 mind.
3
4 MR. RAMPTON: -- At the moment I am afraid.
5
6 MS. STEEL: If I could say that I am actually extremely
7 concerned by what Mr. Rampton has just said. I do not
8 think the fact that we are litigants in person, or
9 campaigners, or anything, should mean that he should treat
10 us differently to how he would treat a normal or a more
11 usual opposing party in a court case. For example, if they
12 are represented,
13
14 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What Mr. Rampton is saying, as I understand
15 it, is he is minded to play it by the book, and what I am
16 urging him to do, which is why I would urge you not to
17 protest any further, I am urging him not necessarily to
18 play it by the book in this instance so far as who is
19 present.
20
21 MS. STEEL: Well, if I just say, McDonald's knew who we were
22 before they issued writs on us, so they knew who they were
23 issuing writs against. They cannot suddenly turn round
24 half way through the case and say, "Well, I am sorry, we do
25 not want to disclose documents to you". They are stuck
26 with it. They chose to bring the case. It is absolutely
27 essential to the document to know who was present at these
28 discussions.
29
30 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I will hear argument about this if and when
31 Mr. Rampton stands up and says he is not going to disclose
32 who was present. So long as there is a possibility that he
33 might do, I do not think it is productive to have argument
34 on it at this stage.
35
36 You can present your argument on it if he says: "I am going
37 to adhere to my previous decision not to put in who is
38 present". I am not going to rule on that until it is quite
39 clear there is no solution by agreement.
40
41 MS. STEEL: The problem is that it is continually being used by
42 Mr. Rampton to basically stall on things. We are having to
43 keep making applications and it is very difficult for us to
44 keep remembering all the ones we have applied for and so
45 on.
46
47 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Leave this point. This point is clearly in
48 everyone's mind now and you can raise it first thing
49 tomorrow morning if we have not had an answer from
50 Mr. Rampton by then.
51
52 MS. STEEL: (To the witness): If you turn to page 21 of the
53 documents, which is a totally blank sheet, apart from LGP,
54 11th April 1994". The whole of the rest of that page is
55 blanked out. Do you know what this is?
56 A. No. I mean, it follows a Scope communications
57 letterhead, a couple of pages back, talking about a date of
58 meeting 11th April. It may very well have been a
59 continuation sheet of some kind but I have no way of
60 knowing.
