Day 309 - 03 Dec 96 - Page 24


     
     1   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.
     2
     3   MR. RAMPTON:  But I do not -----
     4
     5   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Obviously, on the meaning here -----
     6
     7   MR. RAMPTON:  In fact, my Lord, one has "McDeadly" directly
     8        above the "What's your poison?" box.
     9
    10   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.
    11
    12   MR. RAMPTON:  Whether by design or accident, one just does not
    13        know, but -----
    14
    15   MR. MORRIS:  It is actually about a quarter of an inch away from
    16        the word "animals".
    17
    18   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I am sorry, you must not -- you have got to
    19        observe the rules.  I know from my time as an advocate that
    20        one has to bite one's tongue a bit, because one can always
    21        think of a retort.  Just as Mr. Rampton was very restrained
    22        when you were addressing me, you have to do your best.
    23
    24   MR. MORRIS:  He did intervene sometimes.
    25
    26   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Very, very rarely.  I am not choking you off,
    27        as it were, because you have said very little.  But you
    28        must try and let it pass.
    29
    30   MR. MORRIS:  Can I just say that because he is an experienced
    31        advocate, to say the least, and we are litigants in person,
    32        there is a feeling that when Mr. Rampton says something
    33        which seems to be categoric about law or interpretation,
    34        that it will be given much more weight than what we have
    35        said.
    36
    37   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It is very unfair of you to say that.  You
    38        must disabuse yourself of that notion.  At the end of the
    39        hearing of this case, when I go away, I will have had
    40        assistance from you, I will have had assistance from
    41        Mr. Rampton, I would have thought several points which
    42        neither of you have mentioned, and I will come to my own
    43        conclusions.
    44
    45   MR. RAMPTON:  That is undoubtedly right.
    46
    47   MR. JUSTICE BELL: "Several" being a considerable underestimate
    48        in any long case.  Just pause a moment, please.  (Pause)
    49
    50   MR. RAMPTON:  I should add that if your Lordship feels cagey or 
    51        cautious about McDisease and McDeadly in relation to food 
    52        poisoning -- I confess I do not, but if your Lordship does 
    53         -- I do not really mind, because the force (as we would
    54        respectfully suggest) of the submission on meaning, so far
    55        as food poisoning, is really in paragraphs 2(1) and 2(2) --
    56        in context, of course.
    57
    58        Really, the question is: if it is not meant to strike fear
    59        into people's hearts and make them stay away from
    60        McDonald's, what on earth is it doing in this leaflet?

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