Day 194 - 01 Dec 95 - Page 26
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2 MS. STEEL: But we have no time to go and see him, so any
3 instructions that we are going to take from him, if he has
4 to be called on Wednesday, will be on Wednesday morning.
5 I know we quite frequently do ask for an extra quarter of
6 an hour first thing in the morning, but actually it is not
7 particularly satisfactory for us; we would prefer to ask
8 people for more information in advance.
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10 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Very well. You have to try to take a broad
11 view of the case rather than get too taken by a particular
12 problem as it comes along. We are all doing our best,
13 I hope, in not easy circumstances to get through a large
14 case where these difficulties are going to crop up.
15 Whether, when one comes to the end of it, one even
16 remembers the difficulty, let alone is embarrassed by it,
17 is another matter.
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19 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord -----
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21 MR. MORRIS: We have got a suggested compromise here.
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23 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Can I say what is in my mind so far as the
24 documents are concerned, because they were rather a
25 different consideration?
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27 MR. RAMPTON: I was going to make a suggestion about that which
28 is that if Mr. Morris gives Mrs. Brinley-Codd Mr. Coton's
29 address with an undertaking from her that she will not tell
30 McDonald's -- no doubt the Defendants will say that that
31 would have a sinister connotation if McDonald's knew of his
32 address -- she would have the documents couriered to
33 Mr. Coton this afternoon.
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35 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Consider that; the alternative is to put them
36 in the post this afternoon.
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38 MR. MORRIS: I have sent them in the post.
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40 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Right. What I have in mind is this, that if,
41 as I am minded to do at the moment, I say we must go ahead
42 with Mr. Coton next week, I am prepared to say that we will
43 not start him before 2 p.m. on Wednesday, and that whenever
44 we do start him I will give you half a day between the end
45 of Mr. Alimi and the beginning of Mr. Coton, if you tell me
46 you still need it, for you can consult with him. If we can
47 finish Mr. Alimi in the course of Monday and Tuesday,
48 Mr. Coton will have had the documents for two or three
49 days. What we ought to be aiming at is you have Wednesday
50 morning from about 10.30 until 2 p.m. allowing for a break
51 for some lunch to talk over the matter with him.
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53 MR. MORRIS: Can the Plaintiffs, if they intend to call further
54 witnesses, be ordered to serve their statements in plenty
55 of time before Mr. Coton is called? They can (as we have
56 been asked to do) get down all the basis. If they cannot
57 get a full statement, they can (as we have done on many
58 occasions) get down the basic details on the phone, it does
59 not have to be signed, so that we know what they are going
60 to say and that, therefore, we can get instructions from
