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.
