Day 278 - 11 Jul 96 - Page 26


     
     1
     2   Q.   I am sorry, I did not hear that?
     3        A.  I just said the ones at appendix 4 were the ones that I
     4        barely got a chance to look at.
     5
     6   Q.   Can you look at the last page of appendix 4; it is the
     7        second page of the press release dated 5th March 1991?
     8   ?
     9        A.  Is this page 410?
    10
    11   Q.   I am sorry, I do not have the page numbers.
    12
    13   MR. MORRIS:  Mine has got 399 on it.
    14
    15   MR. RAMPTON:  That is not--
    16
    17   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  That is just a little earlier on.  It is the
    18        document after that, the second page of which is 410.
    19
    20   MR. MORRIS:  I have not got that.  I have only got what Mrs
    21        Brinley-Codd's witness gave me.
    22
    23   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, I am going to read it out anyway, it is a
    24        very short passage.  The second paragraph on page 410 says,
    25        "Steel and Morris are faced with libel laws which are
    26        complex, oppressive and expensive to fight and have no
    27        option but to represent and finance themselves.  They are
    28        determined to resist censorship and defend the truth.  They
    29        say, 'We have had to fight at every stage to defend our
    30        legal rights and freedom of speech.  The business practices
    31        of multinationals should be subject to public scrutiny
    32        without fear of censorship.  Robert Maxwell's dependence
    33        upon legal intimidation to silence his critics was
    34        eventually shown to have been in the public interest.  This
    35        case is also of great public interest."  Did you approve
    36        those words or say them, or what, Miss Steel?
    37        A.  I approved them.  I did not say them.
    38
    39   Q.   You made a similar observation when you opened this case in
    40        this court?
    41        A.  Yes.
    42
    43   Q.   In July or June or July of 1994?
    44        A.  Yes.  That is my view, that multinationals and other
    45        people in positions of power should not be able to use the
    46        libel laws in order to bully their critics into silence.
    47
    48   Q.   The libel support campaign.  By this date, early 1994, has
    49        Mr. Mills joined the team by this time?
    50        A.  I don't think he had actually, but I am not sure.
    51
    52   Q.   Who is it in the libel support who is writing this stuff?
    53        He is not going to be sued, do not worry.
    54        A.  I cannot actually remember who wrote it.  There were 9
    55        or 10 people who used to go to meetings.
    56
    57   Q.   And it exists, does it not, to support you and Mr. Morris?
    58        A.  It was set up to provide us with the financial support
    59        and backing that we needed in order to be able to fight
    60        this case.

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