Day 123 - 09 May 95 - Page 08

     
     1   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.
     2
     3   MR. MORRIS:  The point is, is there anything in the fact sheet
     4        which you can recall that has not been said by somebody
     5        before, whether it was in the 70s or the 80s; I am talking
     6        about criticisms that have been made of McDonald's
     7        Corporation.
     8
     9   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Then I think let Mr. Beavers see the fact
    10        sheet.  Remember his question, but the way I interpreted it
    11        is you are being asked whether you can see in the section
    12        towards the end which is headed:  "What it's like working
    13        for McDonald's".  Do you have that?
    14
    15   MR. MORRIS:  It really is the whole fact sheet, not just the
    16        employment section.  (To the witness):  Is there anything
    17        in there which -----
    18
    19   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Is there any criticism there which you have
    20        not come across ---
    21
    22   MR. MORRIS:  Before you took action?
    23
    24   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  -- before you read this?
    25
    26   MR. MORRIS:  Before, basically, 1990, is there anything in there
    27        which has not been said by other people before?
    28        A.  I would say a good deal of it.  I find it highly, you
    29        know, inflammatory.
    30
    31   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I am not sure how far this helps without
    32        being more precise, because, if we move away from the fact
    33        sheet altogether, you could say something very critical of
    34        someone, or publish something very critical of someone,
    35        which had no foundation in fact at all, for instance, and
    36        might well find that other people have said it, where would
    37        that take one, I ask the rhetorical question?
    38
    39        You might put it in a summary form, if what you are really
    40        saying is:  Has it all been said before?  If so, why decide
         to sue on this leaflet?
    42
    43   MR. MORRIS:  Yes.  That is what I was going to say, really, is
    44        the first part -----
    45
    46   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do you remember from your reading of the
    47        leaflet -- what we might do, if you feel at a disadvantage,
    48        is to ask if you would be kind enough to read it through
    49        again during the mid-day adjournment and Mr. Morris can ask
    50        the question again after lunch, because you cannot be 
    51        expected to recall everything which is in the leaflet. 
    52        What he is really asking is, was there any criticism which 
    53        was new to you in there, turning it round the other way?
    54        A.  There were a few things.  The first time I read this
    55        was ---
    56
    57   Q.   1993?
    58        A.  -- before I testified, yes, 1993, before I testified
    59        last year, and I can say that I was quite shocked at some
    60        of the things that I read in this piece.