Day 002 - 29 Jun 94 - Page 53
1 secure a verdict favourable to the McDonald's
Corporation?
2
We certainly hope, of course, we get a verdict favourable
3 to freedom of speech and those that criticise the business
practices of multi-national corporations and who care
4 about environment/index.html">litter, nutrition, animals, forests and workers'
rights and all the other things.
5
One further point about the character of the trial that is
6 coming up -- again I did mention it before -- a lot of our
experts will not have had proper site visits. Finally,
7 I have to say that there are legal implications within the
laws, as they stand, of this country about the trial that
8 obviously we are not happy with a trial without a jury;
not because we question the integrity of the judge at this
9 stage, but because they are our peers. We believe we are
entitled to be tried by our peers; that we believe there
10 should be an equality of arguing powers and resources
which there, clearly, is not.
11
We believe that some of the interlocutory stages have been
12 very unfair. We have not had discovery. There has been a
cover up; that we do not know the case we have to answer
13 on the counterclaim. That is a legal point as well as a
difficulty for us in general, and that in any case the
14 laws as regards Europe are increasingly coming to
influence the courts in this country. We do not know now
15 the implications of that for a case like this in all the
circumstances. So, despite everything, we are determined
16 to put the case, defend the fact sheet and to win the
trial.
17
MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, thank you. Miss Steel, did you want to
18 add anything in opening?
19 MISS STEEL: No, I do not think so.
20 MR. RAMPTON: In fact, your Lordship did give me leave to
mention one thing. There are two other things I would
21 want to mention. Can I mention those two first?
Mr. Morris mentioned a number of witnesses who, contrary
22 to present indications, he said are being called to give
evidence. They are Mr. Sydney or Steven Gardiner; a meat
23 labouring person, I believe, who is Mr. Douglas Shane; a
girl from Canada who is called Sarah Ingliss, and a trade
24 union witness from Australia who is called Mr. Bowland.
25 I only say this at this stage, for the good conduct of the
proceedings, if those people are being called as
26 witnesses, it would be convenient to be told in advance.
Your Lordship will have noticed from the witness schedule
27 that there are no names of any defendants' witnesses
inserted in the spaces. We have actually, so far as we
28 have been able to, allotted particular days to particular
people. In addition to what I have just said, I would
29 make a general plea that the defendants do what they can
to notify us in advance on the day on which a particular
30 witness may be called.
