Day 181 - 01 Nov 95 - Page 68


     
     1
     2   MR. MORRIS:  At the moment, I am just trying to get people
     3        scheduled in wherever I can, because I am conscious of the
     4        need to try and fill up as many of the spaces as possible.
     5        That is the kind of impression I have been given as to what
     6        I should be doing.  I mean, they are not in an ideal order,
     7        but it is the best that we can do.
     8
     9   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, may I make a suggestion?
    10
    11   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.
    12
    13   MR. RAMPTON:  Mr. Morris expresses himself -- and, presumably,
    14        on behalf of Ms. Steel -- concerned about an insufficient
    15        number of preparation days.  If Mr. Alimi were removed from
    16        Thursday the 16th altogether, as I have said, I believe
    17        that to schedule Mr. Coton for Friday the 17th is
    18        premature.  I am not saying he will not be called -- my
    19        belief is that probably in the end he will be called -- but
    20        he has to have time to answer the questions which we
    21        propose to ask or else, if he refuses or Mr. Morris refuses
    22        to put them to him, for us to argue the matter before your
    23        Lordship and get a ruling.  It is, therefore, premature on
    24        any view to schedule him for 17th November, quite apart
    25        from the consideration (which certainly attracts me) that
    26        he is best scheduled after the other Colchester witnesses
    27        of whom there is at the moment, I think, only one left on
    28        the schedule, which is Mr. Alimi.  Others have been
    29        promised in that schedule, and we have not been told when
    30        they might give evidence.  But, plainly, in my submission,
    31        for one reason or another, Mr. Coton ought not to be
    32        scheduled at least until after Mr. Alimi.  If Mr. Alimi is
    33        to be removed from the 16th November to the 4th December,
    34        then the proper place for Mr. Coton (if he is gives
    35        evidence) will be some time after that; and, as we now
    36        know, there are two and a half weeks at least -- and it is
    37        nearly three weeks -- from the end of Sarah Ingliss until
    38        the end of term, on employment questions.  That would give
    39        the whole of the 16th and the 17th for the Defendants to
    40        recover themselves and to prepare for the batch of evidence
    41        which is coming in the next two weeks after that, given
    42        that Friday will now be taken up; it will not be a rest
    43        day, but it will be taken up with argument on meaning; and
    44        that on the 9th, Mr. Morris and Ms. Steel will go their
    45        separate ways.
    46
    47   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What do you say about that?
    48
    49   MR. MORRIS:  I mean ----
    50 
    51   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Shall I put Mr. Alimi in on the 4th and 5th? 
    52 
    53   MR. MORRIS:  Well, I will ask him if he is available for
    54        the 5th.  I have already scheduled him for the 4th, so
    55        I will put that down as a question mark for the 5th as
    56        well.  I will cancel the 16th.  I will ask Ray Coton if he
    57        can do 6th December, to see if that is OK with him.
    58
    59   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, I suggest he be offered any date in
    60        December after the 5th that suits him.

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