Day 288 - 28 Oct 96 - Page 28
1 23I. If I can just make a point about Mr. Walker's
2 statement that as a result of the food industry the
3 suffering of the animals is inevitable. Can I say that
4 that is to us an acceptance, an admission, by him that the
5 food industry is causing the suffering, because he says 'as
6 a result of the food industry'. So, the suffering, the
7 food industry, is responsible for, is causing, the
8 suffering of animals inevitably, is how we would read
9 that.
10
11 Just a couple of further points. That the back page of the
12 fact sheet, and all sections, should be seen as part of the
13 context of the fact sheet and, obviously, it contains the
14 general overall positive alternatives being put forward by
15 London Greenpeace and what people can do, which gives the
16 context which I have explained for the rainforest section.
17 Sorry, if I can find it -- but even more so, for this
18 section of the leaflet, because much of it is about
19 practical things that people can do in their everyday lives
20 to avoid suffering of animals, for example, by being
21 vegetarian. All that kind of stuff.
22
23 It is important in defeating the malice claimed by the
24 Plaintiffs, but also in providing a context for the words
25 complained of, that they are seen in the light of positive
26 alternatives and the contrast - what it is saying about the
27 animals, for example, is the contrast, is not the suffering
28 contrasted with other companies or contrasted with...
29 Anyway, all implicated clearly in the "everything must go"
30 box, but the contrast is not that are the conditions worse
31 than the normal conditions in the industry.
32
33 The point is, the normal conditions that pertain to the
34 food industry are contrasted with the rights of animals to
35 live their own lives and not be used at all.
36
37 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Why do you not let Ms. Steel get on with her
38 submissions on the facts in relation to the three species I
39 am concerned with and then if you want to make -- I suggest
40 the time for general comments like this is at the end. I
41 mean, you made that comment before. All I need to note is
42 that you make the same point with regard to animals as you
43 do with regard to the rainforest.
44
45 MR. MORRIS: Yes. I mean, maybe it is particularly pertinent
46 to this section because of some of the points made on the
47 last page.
48
49 There was only one further point I wanted to make about
50 meaning, if I may make it, which is it may be worth noting
51 that what McDonald's say in their press release, the April
52 1994 press release, which was the subject of the
53 counterclaim on animals ----
54
55 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just read that bit out to me. I will not
56 turn up the actual document.
57
58 MR. MORRIS: It is not much really. They say the leaflet
59 states, that is the fact sheet, that McDonald's is
60 responsible for torturing/slaughtering animals; and their
