Day 195 - 04 Dec 95 - Page 75
1 we could finalise which of the rest of our employment
2 witnesses we are ----
3
4 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You might well fit those in after a day which
5 may go a little short anyway. For instance, I do not know
6 whether Mr. Brett or Mr. Cramer will take the whole of
7 their days. See what you can do about Mr. Coton for
8 tomorrow.
9
10 (Short Adjournment)
11
12 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
13
14 MR. MORRIS: I phoned Mr. Coton who was there. He said that all
15 his appointments for Thursday and Friday have been shifted
16 forward to be crammed into Wednesday -- sorry, for
17 Wednesday and Thursday have been crammed into tomorrow. So
18 he did not feel able to come tomorrow. So what we would
19 like is to do is start on Wednesday afternoon or something,
20 and it looks like he will be finished by the end of
21 Thursday. Then we will have the problem of Friday being a
22 day lost. I can try to contact ----
23
24 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I think you should do your very best to get
25 someone in on the Friday. It may not matter very much who
26 it is, but Mr. Shafibeik and Mr. and Mrs. Harrison are
27 obvious choices as we are on Colchester. How long do you
28 really need to speak to Mr. Coton? Have you spoken to him
29 on the phone so far about the documentation?
30
31 MR. MORRIS: No, not at all. I have just sent them in the post
32 to him.
33
34 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Has he got them, do you know?
35
36 MR. MORRIS: I did not ask him now. He should have got them by
37 now. I think he has got them. Actually, yes, he did refer
38 to something in passing on the phone.
39
40 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. I do not for myself, unless all the
41 parties are agreed, think that we should read Civil
42 Evidence Act statements tomorrow. I am content to do so,
43 but they can be put in at any time. Even if the evidence
44 may be important in itself it can be used to fill what
45 otherwise might be out of time. I do not see much point in
46 everyone coming back into court just for the purpose of
47 reading statements which can be read at any stage. What
48 I do think you should do is give some thought as to who you
49 could usefully read during what remains of Thursday if
50 Mr. Coton finishes before normal close of play on Thursday,
51 and do your very best to find people for Friday. If there
52 was legal representation on both sides I would just say we
53 must have evidence on Friday, so be it. I am not being
54 arbitrary like that with you because I do understand that
55 you have very real difficulties. You have to try to move
56 heaven and earth to get someone in this Friday 8th and for
57 Friday 15th. I know you appreciate it is important that we
58 keep going.
59
60 It is helpful to all of us if we try to hear the evidence
