Day 265 - 19 Jun 96 - Page 78


     
     1   MR. RAMPTON:  Can I leave that where it is at the moment, my
     2        Lord.  I will return to it first thing tomorrow morning.
     3        If your Lordship directs that Mr. Bishop be brought back
     4        for cross-examination unless I make an admission, then that
     5        will cover the situation.
     6
     7   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, I think he should.  I do not think you
     8        need decide now, and if it means he has to come back on
     9        Monday, or some other date rather than tomorrow, there we
    10        are.
    11
    12        Was there anything else with regard to either Mr. Bishop or
    13        Mr. Pocklington at the moment, or are you really saying you
    14        have not had time to -----
    15
    16   MS. STEEL:  I have not really had time to digest it all.
    17
    18   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Very well.  Let us leave it there.
    19
    20   MR. RAMPTON:   My Lord, the only other thing is -- and I am
    21        sorry to have to keep mentioning it but it really is
    22        becoming, frankly, a pain in the neck -- and that is that I
    23        still have not had any additional witness statements from
    24        the Defendants or their witnesses relating to -- it is
    25        hardly even a recent defence now -- consent.
    26
    27   MS. STEEL:  I did give the supplementary notes.
    28
    29   MR. RAMPTON:  I have had the notes.  I have had what were called
    30        the "bullet points" at one time, if that is the extent of
    31        it.  I still need to know, before the Defendants call their
    32        witnesses, which witness is going give evidence about which
    33        bullet point.  That may turn out to be extremely important.
    34
    35   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What I may say is that if your bullet points
    36        deal with all the topics, the additional topics -- that is
    37        the first stage -- and we can write on them the names of
    38        the witnesses who would deal with that ---
    39
    40   MR. RAMPTON:  That is fine.
    41
    42   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  -- I may well, subject to anything
    43        Mr. Rampton wishes to say, say that is sufficient notice to
    44        allow for the introduction of evidence by those witnesses
    45        to the effect of the bullet points.  But we really are
    46        running out of time on it and you must tell me tomorrow
    47        what they are, or that you are not going to pursue the
    48        matter, because we are getting closer and closer to the
    49        time when you would call your publication witnesses, if you
    50        choose to call them. 
    51 
    52        So, I would like you to do that, at least on the sheet. 
    53        You need not provide a copy.  You can say in it open court
    54        and I will write it on my copy, "Mr. or Miss so and so in
    55        relation to that", and then if Mr. Rampton says that is not
    56        enough, I will hear what he has to say about it.
    57
    58   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, I think my role is completely different
    59        from a judge's.  Perhaps your Lordship will think "Thank
    60        heavens for that".  I sometimes do, certainly.  But I do

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