Day 169 - 04 Oct 95 - Page 35
1 MS. STEEL: With respect, actually I do have a meaning that is
2 resolved in my own mind.
3
4 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It would be very helpful if you wrote that
5 down and we had it in writing at the beginning of the
6 argument, at least, and then you can put forward your
7 points for it.
8
9 MR. MORRIS: Yes. Then our application to strike out would be
10 after you have ruled about meaning.
11
12 MR. JUSTICE BELL: When I have ruled what the meaning is on the
13 interim point, then you can consider your application to
14 strike out.
15
16 MR. MORRIS: Just on the Fairgreave matter, I think it should be
17 borne in mind that, you know, it is going to be hard work
18 preparing for him. He disclosed hundreds of pages of
19 documents which I have not had time to go through. If
20 I had flicked through them, I have forgotten them months
21 ago. So, there we are. I do not see why presentation
22 should take three days. McDonald's has probably got 20
23 people in their marketing department but .....
24
25 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I think you can cope and I think in some ways
26 the more and more these things are put off, the bigger a
27 problem they get in one's minds. So I will say Fairgreave
28 on Monday and Tuesday, Bath documents on Wednesday. We
29 will have Thursday and Friday as preparation days, which
30 will help you get ready for Mr. Mehigan and meaning. Some
31 time on Friday I would like you to tell me how far you have
32 got with providing witnesses of your own for Wednesday,
33 18th and Thursday, 19th.
34
35 It might be a kindness to Mrs. French if she actually stood
36 up, took the oath and got going even if it is only for five
37 minutes.
38
39 MR. RAMPTON: It only means this, my Lord, if she does, that she
40 is going into quarantine over the adjournment.
41
42 MR. JUSTICE BELL: There is probably no harm in that.
43
44 MR. ATKINSON: My Lord, I propose from now on not to read the
45 whole of the statements out. I have down what your
46 Lordship has said. I have given a photocopy to the
47 Defendants of the statement I am going to rely on, and I
48 have offered them, if they want to make another copy, to
49 use the photocopier in court free of charge.
50
51 MR. MORRIS: I would like the statement to be read out and
52 I want to know -- I think the statement should be read out
53 as a matter of course.
54
55 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Why do you say that?
56
57 MS. STEEL: I would also like this statement to be read out.
58 Last night we were given one copy -----
59
60 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Give me a reason. If there is a good reason,
