Day 143 - 27 Jun 95 - Page 38
1
2 I do not want to say more about that because otherwise
3 I would be telling you how to give your evidence, but you
4 must think a bit about that before you go into the witness
5 box.
6
7 I will say now that normally a witness does not go into the
8 witness box with their statement, although in this case
9 witnesses have looked at their statements or notes of what
10 they are going to say, subject to anything Mr. Rampton
11 wishes to say on the matter, I will allow you and Ms. Steel
12 if you give evidence to take with you into the witness box
13 notes which as an aide memoir what you want to deal with
14 next and what is the next document you want to refer to.
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16 MR. MORRIS: Can I just ask one question? Is it the case that
17 Ms. Steel will question me, examine me in-chief first?
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19 MR. JUSTICE BELL: The first person who will be given an
20 opportunity to give evidence is Ms. Steel because she is
21 the first Defendant.
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23 MR. MORRIS: But I will examine her first?
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25 MR. JUSTICE BELL: She will say what she wants to say from the
26 witness box. You then have an opportunity to ask her
27 questions. You go before Mr. Rampton cross examines her.
28 Parties on the same side, having given their own evidence,
29 are always questioned by the party or the counsel of the
30 party who is on the same side, as it were, before the
31 cross-examination comes.
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33 MR. MORRIS: So we will question each other before -----
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35 MR. JUSTICE BELL: If you want to, you have the opportunity to
36 do so.
37
38 MR. MORRIS: In turn and then Mr. Rampton will question.
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40 MR. RAMPTON: That is not what I understand. They will go in
41 turn and the cross-examination of each will precede the
42 evidence-in-chief of the next.
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44 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What will happen is this: When Mr. Rampton
45 closes his case on behalf of the Plaintiffs, I will say to
46 Ms. Steel: "Do you wish to give evidence?" If she does,
47 she will go into the witness box. She will say what she
48 wants to say. When she has completed that, I will say:
49 "Mr. Morris, do you want to ask Ms. Steel any
50 questions?" You will go then, if you wish, to ask
51 Ms. Steel questions.
52
53 Then Mr. Rampton will have the opportunity to
54 cross-examine. When he has completed his
55 cross-examination, I will say to Ms. Steel: "Is there
56 anything you wish to say further of your own accord?" which
57 would be the equivalent of re-examination.
58
59 When Ms. Steel leaves the witness box I will say to
60 Ms. Steel: "Are there any witnesses you wish to call in
