Day 284 - 22 Oct 96 - Page 40
1 is.
2
3 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, but is it other than a connection of
4 responsibility or causing or blame? Surely that is the
5 whole punch of this. I mean, if you say no, I will have to
6 make a decision on the matter. I have to make a decision
7 anyway. I just want to know whether there is any genuine
8 dispute about it.
9
10 MR. MORRIS: Obviously we are saying they are indirectly
11 responsible, but all I am saying is whether that is the
12 meaning is in terms of --
13
14 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That is what I want to know, are you
15 actually challenging, and I am taking you to be speaking on
16 behalf of Miss Steel as well on this, is there any real
17 dispute that that is what the leaflet means?
18
19 MR. MORRIS: It does not say to me McDonald's cause
20 starvation.
21
22 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No. The way McDonald's have pleaded it is
23 are to blame for starvation in the Third World. That is
24 the last clause in meaning A. So if you are saying no, it
25 does not mean that McDonald's are to blame for starvation
26 in the Third World, I will make a note and I will turn my
27 mind to it.
28
29 MR. MORRIS: Right. For a start in that meaning A, they have
30 restricted it to --
31
32 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do not worry about that.
33
34 MR. MORRIS: As a result.
35
36 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Forget the restriction. What I must get to
37 grips with is whether you actually dispute that the leaflet
38 means that McDonald's, by whatever route, are to blame for
39 starvation in the Third World. I mean, if there is any
40 doubt about it, I will just make a note that you do not
41 accept that it means that. (Pause)
42
43 MR. MORRIS: We do not accept that the meaning is McDonald's are
44 to blame for starvation in the Third World. We accept that
45 McDonald's have a connection with poverty and hunger and
46 starvation through the way it is described on that page,
47 and that their connection is as part of a collective
48 economic process. We have the comments in the general
49 section of the pleadings, if you remember, some of those
50 relate to these issues.
51
52 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, divider 8.
53
54 MR. MORRIS: I can't remember.
55
56 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I have got it as divider 8 in my abstract of
57 pleadings.
58
59 MR. MORRIS: Right. Whether I can find mine is another
60 question. (Pause) I cannot find mine. I think it is quite
