Day 103 - 14 Mar 95 - Page 71


     
     1        have indicated that you expect to start again I think on
     2        Thursday after the break.  It would be very helpful if we
     3        could have the rest of that week, knowing that would be
     4        spare which gives us effectively an extra four days of
     5        break.  That is one thing.  I think that Plaintiffs want to
     6        start the employment issue next straight after Easter which
     7        obviously is a huge issue and a large number of documents,
     8        and we have said that certainly Mr. Fairweather and Mr.
     9        Bateman ----
    10
    11   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just pause there because what I would like to
    12        do is when I have risen you can be given a copy of whatever
    13        it is Mr. Rampton was handing to you a moment ago and next
    14        week I suggest you can come back to me on that scheduling
    15        when you have had time to think about it.  Since the
    16        question of employment was raised about a week ago I have
    17        in fact re-read every word of all the statements on both
    18        sides, not all of the documentation which might apply but
    19        I have re-read every one of all your live and Civil
    20        Evidence Act witnesses and re-read every word of every
    21        statement in the two yellow bundles with the Plaintiffs'
    22        witnesses.  So, I have reminded myself of the sorts of
    23        areas which might be covered by those witnesses.  We can
    24        discuss it next week with a schedule in front of us upon
    25        which you have comment and if you really are saying that
    26        Easter is too short you have to tell me just what you have
    27        to do before, for instance, we embark on the first
    28        witnesses and the extent to which you can be prepared as
    29        you go along.
    30
    31        You have got to understand that I do know something about
    32        the stresses and strains of litigation and the
    33        preparation.  The one thing I do know is that although you
    34        do your best to prepare a case in advance, you have also
    35        got to continue to prepare it as you go along and as each
    36        new witness or set of witnesses appears on the horizon.  In
    37        a long case staging is very important and staging of your
    38        preparation.  I do not think one can just make general
    39        declarations of principle about it.  So what I process is
    40        that we come back to it perhaps on Tuesday of next week
    41        when you have had time to consider the proposed schedule.
    42
    43   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, there will not be any evidence in court
    44        until Thursday of next week.  If the Defendants manage to
    45        finish Mr. Bennett in two days, he deals only with Jarret
    46        after all, the first three days of next week are clear
    47        because they do not call a witness until Mr. North on
    48        Thursday.  Your Lordship should have Mr. Morris' schedule
    49        somewhere there.
    50 
    51   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, that is right.  I had overlooked that. 
    52 
    53   MR. RAMPTON:  I am perfectly happy to come back and discuss the
    54        scheduling at any time, but it might be better not to
    55        encroach on the Defendants' preparation time.
    56
    57   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I was not suggesting that we just come back
    58        to talk about scheduling.
    59
    60   MR. RAMPTON:  Maybe, my Lord, we could discuss it on Thursday

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