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

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