Day 165 - 27 Sep 95 - Page 35
1 that my original plans -- I am not complaining about it --
2 for example, to call Mr. Cesca on rain forests on 6th
3 November have been shot to bits. Quite plainly, we shall
4 not get to rain forests until the middle of November --
5 maybe a little earlier than that, but I do not know. I do
6 not know if your Lordship wants to look into a crystal ball
7 for the long-term future but after -----
8
9 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It would be quite helpful, apart from
10 anything else, it may well be on Friday afternoon someone
11 will ask me what the prognosis is generally, so any
12 assistance which you, Ms. Steel or Mr. Morris -- for the
13 moment, what I want to look at is when we might finish the
14 evidence because I appreciate that there may be matters to
15 discuss about speeches and so on.
16
17 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, yes, there will be some questions of law,
18 I anticipate.
19
20 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Also, there is the question of whether there
21 should be a break between the end of the evidence and
22 speeches and, if so, for how long, but the start is when
23 the evidence is likely to finish.
24
25 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, taking -- whether one uses the
26 word "optimistic" or "pessimistic" in this context, I am
27 not sure -- a view of the way the case has tended to go
28 thus far, and not harbouring any sincere hope that that is
29 likely to change, I think one has to accept that one might
30 not get on to rain forest evidence until the week beginning
31 18th/19th, Monday 20th November.
32
33 Mr. Morris has not said anything about it, but I do know --
34 at least I think I know -- that there is a school half term
35 somewhere in the period before that. I do not have
36 children of school age any more myself, so I cannot be sure
37 about that. I am not encouraging him to ask for time off
38 or anything like that but I can see -----
39
40 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I think we need to know when it is because,
41 obviously, if it conveniently fits in with when we might
42 have a break anyway, it is useful to know and get the
43 measure of it.
44
45 MR. RAMPTON: I have to leave that to Mr. Morris. To an extent,
46 of course, it must depend upon, so far as he is concerned,
47 I would have thought, when his witnesses are available.
48 But I will leave that to him.
49
50 MR. JUSTICE BELL: If you were right about that, we have
51 rain forest, publication, recall of witnesses, Ms. Steel
52 and Mr. Morris, if they choose to give evidence, and any
53 other witnesses they wish to call who have not been called
54 in the earlier course of the case.
55
56 MR. RAMPTON: That is right.
57
58 MR. JUSTICE BELL: So what are we actually looking at for the
59 end of the evidence? I appreciate that it can only be a
60 broadest assessment, but how do you feel about it at the
