Day 099 - 08 Mar 95 - Page 03

     
     1        thirdly, we do not object to him coming after the end of
     2        his sabbatical.
     3
     4   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I think he should go off until the autumn,
     5        Mr. Rampton, quite frankly.  The one thing you do not do
     6        with a sabbatical, otherwise you avoid the whole point of
     7        it, is to interrupt it in any way whatsoever.
     8
     9   MR. RAMPTON:  I am grateful for that.  We will see what we can
    10        do with him from October onwards.  My Lord, the other thing
    11        is -- it is more urgent really -- I think it was yesterday
    12        Ms. Steel disclosed a video film -- it is quite short,
    13        about 15 minutes -- which I watched last night made by a
    14        group of people calling themselves Animal Aid, purporting
    15        to record incidents of turkey and chicken broiler
    16        catching.
    17
    18        This is something which, plainly, I would need to ask
    19        Dr. Pattison about.  It is my understanding that the
    20        Defendants intend to put it to Dr. Pattison in
         cross-examination.  It follows from that -- in fact, it was
    22        only disclosed yesterday -- that I would ask your
    23        Lordship's leave to two things.  First, to obtain
    24        Dr. Pattison's reaction to the film before he comes back to
    25        continue his cross-examination and, second, if necessary,
    26        to ask him questions in-chief about anything in that film
    27        upon which he may wish to comment in advance of being
    28        cross-examined about it.
    29
    30   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.
    31
    32   MR. RAMPTON:  The related question is this.  Mr. Morris
    33        mentioned the other day -- I forget whether it was last
    34        week or yesterday -- that the Defendants had been in
    35        contact with an anonymous person, illiterate it is said,
    36        who is said to have been a catcher of chickens at Sun
    37        Valley at some stage.  Again, this is something very
    38        recent.  It has occurred during Dr. Pattison's
    39        cross-examination.
    40
         If that person is going to be a witness, then, my Lord, in
    42        our submission, it is only right that we should, before
    43        Dr. Pattison comes back so that he can make appropriate
    44        enquiries, be told the name of the person and when it was
    45        that he worked at Sun Valley and, broadly speaking, if
    46        possible (and this is less important) what are the
    47        allegations that he is proposing to make.
    48
    49        If the Defendants are unable to specify his allegations,
    50        though it is fair to say the leaflet which accompanies the 
    51        Animal Aid video contains what purport to be quotations 
    52        from various anonymous ex-catchers, but if they do not know 
    53        what the allegations are, at least, they must know who the
    54        person is, what his name is, and perhaps when it was that
    55        he worked at Sun Valley; the reason being that Dr. Pattison
    56        ought to have the opportunity to make enquiries about that
    57        person before he comes back to continue his evidence.
    58
    59   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, the video, first of all?
    60