Day 070 - 20 Dec 94 - Page 40
1 been very widely disseminated. In consequence of that,
2 a large number of inaccurate, misleading and, one might
3 argue, damaging reports so far as McDonald's are concerned,
4 have been published.
5
6 I put it quite bluntly: I do not trust the Defendants with
7 the identity of a slaughterhouse. If I have to give it,
8 I give it, but I give it under protest and with a heartfelt
9 request that your Lordship impose upon that information the
10 most stringent, as I have said, requirements of
11 confidentiality.
12
13 My Lord, it is something to which I shall have to return.
14 I say this now, and I was going to come to it at a later
15 juncture in the case: a thought which has occurred to us is
16 not an appealing thought, and I know it is not one that is
17 going to appeal to your Lordship, is this, that if misuse
18 of these transcripts continues in the way that it has been
19 going throughout the currency of this case -- I have before
20 me a document which invites readers (it is a magazine
21 article) to apply for transcripts from the libel trial at
22 25 Caledonian Road, London N1 -- if that abuse continues,
23 then we shall have to seriously consider whether we, the
24 Plaintiffs, are willing to continue paying for the
25 provision of the transcripts to the Defendants.
26
27 I am not saying that what has happened is a contempt of
28 court, or anything like that. I do not ask for an order.
29 I would not dream of doing something like that without
30 first telling your Lordship, and inviting your Lordship to
31 make such comment as your Lordship thought right upon our
32 intention, if that should in the end be our intention.
33
34 My Lord, it is with that sort of background in mind that
35 I am very concerned about the revelation of the identity of
36 chicken plants, slaughterhouses, feed lots, or anything
37 else, so far as these Defendants are concerned.
38
39 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. Is there anything you want to say about
40 that? I am not going to draw any inference against you,
41 personally.
42
43 MS. STEEL: We did not know which document he was referring to.
44
45 MR. MORRIS: Are you disclosing this?
46
47 MR. RAMPTON: You can have it. It is not a form of disclosure.
48
49 MR. MORRIS: I do not know what point Mr. Rampton is making.
50
51 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Forget any allegation which may be taken to
52 be directed at you and Ms. Steel, personally.
53
54 MR. MORRIS: Yes, I understand.
55
56 MR. JUSTICE BELL: The anxiety is that if the identity of a
57 particular slaughterhouse is trumpeted, someone may be
58 misguided enough to attack that establishment. Forget any
59 insinuation so far as you or Ms. Steel are concerned.
60 That, it is said, would be (a) unfortunate and (b)
