Day 003 - 30 Jun 94 - Page 44
1 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What we could do is we could go on with
Mr. Preston and then wherever we have got to at 12 noon
2 tomorrow call Mr. Beavers. Mr. Beavers, it appears to me,
may be limited so far as your endeavours are concerned in
3 this sense that he speaks about equal opportunities, and
your case, having heard your opening, seems to me not that
4 McDonald's is prejudiced against black people or women but
just their working system means that they tend to employ
5 numbers of disadvantaged people. That is the drift as
I understood it from your opening. So it may be that you
6 do not have very much to ask Mr. Beavers in
cross-examination, but his second statement deals with
7 environment/index.html">litter.
8 MR. MORRIS: I do not know if we have had that second
statement. I am not sure.
9
MR. JUSTICE BELL: In volume 1 of the plaintiffs' statements at
10 tab 3 I have a one page unsigned statement under
Mr. Beavers' name, which does not in fact say more --
11 paragraph 2 leave aside for the moment because that might
be taken for comment -- paragraph 3 says no more than
12 Mr. Preston has said in the course of his evidence this
afternoon.
13
MR. MORRIS: I think we did have this one, yes. It is such a
14 small statement.
15 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No one is going to take a point against you
if indeed you chose not to cross-examine Mr. Beavers on
16 those points and took it up with Mr. Preston instead, do
you see? It is not to deprive you of the opportunity to
17 ask Mr. Beavers questions about it.
18 MR. RAMPTON: I should say this now. I think I have said it
before in chambers to your Lordship. I have no intention
19 at any stage in this case, and I say it publicly, partly
because it would be unattractive and unfair, partly
20 because it would not appeal to your Lordship, to take a
point, "Oh, that was never put".
21
MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. I remember you saying that.
22
MR. RAMPTON: I am only concerned the defendants should have
23 the opportunity to ask the questions they think they need
to ask, any supplementary questions or lines of
24 questioning suggested by your Lordship, at a time which
allows Mr. Beavers to go back to America.
25
MR. JUSTICE BELL: If we started Mr. Beavers at 12 noon there
26 is no risk of him not being finished by half past 3 or 4
o'clock tomorrow, is there, Miss Steel, Mr. Morris?
27
MISS STEEL: I do not think so.
28
MR. RAMPTON: I will then finish.
29
MR. JUSTICE BELL: Is there anyone who is inconvenienced if we
30 sat on to about quarter to 5 to finish Mr. Preston in
chief? Then when you go away you know the whole of his
