Day 078 - 26 Jan 95 - Page 04
1 case -- I know your Lordship has -- of two things. The
2 first is that this is a case which is potentially
3 absolutely inundated with documents. If one were disclosed
4 everything that bore upon a subject, in even the remotest
5 way, though not relevant to any issue, one really would be
6 here for years and years and years. That is the first
7 observation. I know your Lordship is conscious of that.
8
9 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I am very conscious of that.
10
11 MR. RAMPTON: For that matter, not just from the point of view
12 of the time and expense which it costs McDonald's but, of
13 course, there is what was recently averted to -----
14
15 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Assume that I can imagine everything you
16 might want to say in that area. In this case, as they are
17 actually pinned to the documents in court, is there any
18 reason why they should not see them perhaps over the -----
19
20 MR. RAMPTON: Mrs. Brinley-Codd has spent some time going
21 through the documents before we came to court so as to copy
22 those which were arguably relevant. I know what is going
23 to happen with Mr. Walker in the witness box if these
24 documents are produced. I do not propose to give any
25 explanation on them. What is going to happen is that we
26 are going to spend an hour with Mr. Walker and the
27 Defendants asking questions in pursuit of an enquiry which
28 very likely has nothing whatever to do with the case.
29
30 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That may or may not turn out to be
31 justified. What I suggest in this instance is, if you hold
32 over your Brazil cross-examination until after the mid-day
33 adjournment, unless you were going ----
34
35 MR. MORRIS: We wanted to get on with that, really.
36
37 MS. STEEL: But we can leave those parts until after the mid-day
38 adjournment.
39
40 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Right. What I suggest on this occasion is
41 that you be given those when we rise at 1 o'clock, or
42 thereabouts, and if Mrs. Brinley-Codd -- it is not for me
43 to tell her what to do -- would be so kind as to return a
44 few minutes before we resume this afternoon, unless she is
45 required elsewhere so that if Ms. Steel or Mr. Morris wants
46 an explanation she can give the best explain that she can.
47
48 MR. RAMPTON: That is the point, no. Some of them speak for
49 themselves; some of them are impenetrable but, quite
50 plainly, have nothing whatever do with the question which
51 I submitted to your Lordship a moment ago is the one which
52 actually matters in this part of the case. I say that with
53 some feeling. I also would say emphatically that I do not
54 intend, unless I am ordered by your Lordship, to make
55 discovery of documents just because the Defendants think
56 there may be something which they might like to see. I do
57 intend to adhere -----
58
59 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Are they actually here in court?
60
