Day 083 - 06 Feb 95 - Page 59
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2 MS. STEEL: No. There are other things on food poisoning.
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4 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, might I intervene to say this?
5 Mr. Atherton is due to give evidence tomorrow. We do not
6 seem to be very far down this interrogatory road. I am not
7 casting any blame on anybody for that. I propose to be
8 very short indeed with Mr. Atherton in-chief, largely for
9 the reason that his statement contains a large amount of
10 detail about training systems which I do not need to go
11 into in-chief. I am wondering whether your Lordship would
12 like to continue with these interrogatory things tomorrow
13 or put them over. There are several areas in which we are
14 able to get information which may shorten matters. I would
15 do that this evening or I could sit down and just wait for
16 the Defendants to plough on through the list.
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18 MR. JUSTICE BELL: How long is the rest of the argument going to
19 last? Could we get through tomorrow morning?
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21 MR. RAMPTON: I would hope so but, as I say, there is some law
22 on the effect of the admissions which in the context of
23 this case may be of some importance. It should not take
24 all that long. If I look at the rest of the list some of
25 it, I believe, has already been overtaken by order of the
26 decision your Lordship may make on the questions of power.
27 I do not know whether it is necessary to discuss the
28 counterclaim at this stage. I have something to say about
29 the Defendants' employment witnesses. I do want to say
30 it. I do not know whether your Lordship is giving a ruling
31 on the BSE issue tomorrow.
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33 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I could give my ruling on the BSE matter
34 first thing in the morning if that would help.
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36 MR. RAMPTON: I am just wondering if your Lordship said we
37 continue the interlocutories tomorrow and we did not finish
38 until some time in the afternoon and maybe did not start
39 Mr. Atherton until either the middle afternoon or perhaps
40 the following morning, whether that creates a difficulty.
41 I am very keen to get him finished within the three
42 remaining days, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, since I have
43 Mr. Bowes coming on Monday.
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45 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. You have Mr. Bowes on Monday and then
46 Mr. Pattison later in the week.
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48 MS. STEEL: May I just say something?
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50 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
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52 MS. STEEL: I may have a problem next week. There is a funeral
53 -- I am not sure what day it is yet.
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55 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. Do you know where it will be? Is it
56 near to London so that you could take -----
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58 MS. STEEL: No, it is in the Midlands at the moment. I believe
59 it will be on Tuesday.
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