Day 260 - 11 Jun 96 - Page 47
1
2 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I appreciate that. But for present purposes,
3 you see -- as I said about half an hour ago, it might be a
4 bit patchy -- but, for all I know, if the Defendants
5 establish from Mr. Bishop (as they have done) that he might
6 have gone to about 20 meetings, when Mr. Bishop has left
7 the witness box and we have dealt with the discovery in
8 whatever way, they may be content for their purposes with
9 knowing about how many he attended without the need for him
10 to come back to be asked further questions. I just do not
11 know. I can see it is part of their case, I know, that
12 they suggest there were a number of inquiry agents
13 attending a number of meetings, and they want to argue that
14 that kept any momentum there was going. You say no, if you
15 look at the whole picture that is nonsense. But it is a
16 matter I have to listen to, is it not?
17
18 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, it is. But, surely, I am sorry, that
19 is -----
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21 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It started because you stood up and said that
22 you knew, but the rest of us do not.
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24 MR. RAMPTON: I know what happens when Mr. Morris asks a
25 question like that. Ms. Steel does exactly the same. The
26 witness is asked to estimate a distance, and he says, "It
27 is about from here to the door", and they turn that into
28 concrete, and in no time -----
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30 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That has happened from time to time, but I am
31 perfectly capable of ignoring that.
32
33 (To the witness) You think you went to about 20 meetings
34 overall, do you, or how many?
35 A. It is impossible for me to say after this length of
36 time.
37
38 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Right. Very well.
39
40 MS. STEEL: It would just save time if Mr. Rampton told us, you
41 know.
42
43 MR. RAMPTON: No, my Lord.
44
45 MS. STEEL: I do not really see the point in all these games he
46 is trying to play.
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48 MR. RAMPTON: It is not games. I am concerned to save the money
49 of my clients and the time of this court, in that order.
50
51 MS. STEEL: A very strange way of doing it.
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53 MR. RAMPTON: What I will not do is to supply the Defendants
54 with volumes of notes which have nothing to do with the
55 issues in this case, unless I am ordered to do so by the
56 court.
57
58 This is a good example. There was, in fact, one other
59 meeting of Mr. Bishop that went to, not nine others or ten
60 others. He went to one additional meeting at which
