Day 284 - 22 Oct 96 - Page 02


     
     1                                      Tuesday, 22nd October, 1996
     2
     3   MR. RAMPTON:   My Lord, can I just say a word about the
     4        transcripts?  Our position is this; that unless your
     5        Lordship felt a strong wish to have a daily transcript of
     6        the closing speeches, it would not be our intention to
     7        provide them either for your Lordship or for the
     8        defendants, simply because we do not believe that the
     9        expense is justified.  But if, on the other hand, your
    10        Lordship did feel that it would be a help, then we would.
    11
    12   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Well, I personally do not actually think it
    13        would, because, however important it may be, for instance,
    14        to have a good note or accurate note of the evidence, all
    15        I need to do is get down the points which are made, either
    16        by Miss Steel, Mr. Morris or you in your varied
    17        submissions.  That I have absolute confidence I can do.
    18        Most importantly, of course, is any references there are
    19        actually to evidence.
    20
    21        The only possible thought I have is that if I say something
    22        like I said yesterday about fact and comment and
    23        justification and what can be taken into account in
    24        deciding whether any comment is fair and so on, it might
    25        help the plaintiffs, which is one thing, but might also
    26        therefore save time, which is another.  If they ask for a
    27        particular page of what I have said, they could do so to
    28        Mrs. Brinley-Codd and it would be considered favourably.
    29        That is all I have.  That would not involve the transcript
    30        day by day, but might well help the expeditious, fair
    31        progress of the hearing.
    32
    33   MR. RAMPTON:   My Lord, I see no problem with that at all.  As
    34        to yesterday, that is obviously a page, or whatever it is,
    35        that will be provided for everybody.
    36
    37   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.  I will hear anything Miss Steel and
    38        Mr. Morris wish to say, although I have already indicated
    39        that I do not consider it is in my power to order you to do
    40        anything.
    41
    42   MR. RAMPTON:   Nor did the -----
    43
    44   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   I do not propose to give free comments on
    45        it, save the one I have just considered.  You do not need a
    46        note of what you have said because you know what your
    47        points are.
    48
    49   MS. STEEL:   Can I just clarify something?
    50 
    51   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes. 
    52 
    53   MS. STEEL:  I take it from what Mr. Rampton is saying, although
    54        I am not sure, that they are ordering them for themselves.
    55        Is that correct?
    56
    57   MR. RAMPTON:   That is absolutely none of Miss Steel's business
    58        at all, but it probably is correct, yes.
    59
    60   MS. STEEL:   It is just that, as we know, from previous

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