Day 147 - 04 Jul 95 - Page 23
1
2 The crux of this, of course, which the Defendants hate to
3 recognise, is that it is McDonald's who are paying for them
4 to have both the transcripts and CaseView. That offer to
5 pay for CaseView and the transcripts was made on two bases
6 when this case began: first, that it was thought (and
7 perhaps rightly) that it would lead to a more orderly and,
8 indeed, a fairer trial if they had the same facilities as
9 we did; but the second basis on which that offer was made
10 was that the Defendants would use that facility in good
11 faith. Now, that they have not done.
12
13 I remain 100 per cent unmoved and unconvinced by anything
14 Ms. Steel or Mr. Morris have said about this, for the very
15 good reason that they have given no explanation to us -- it
16 is not a matter for your Lordship; it is a matter for us --
17 why it is that the McLibel Support campaign feels able to
18 print on Internet (and elsewhere, for that matter) large
19 chunks of selective quotations which they expressly say are
20 taken directly from the court transcripts.
21
22 Until the Defendants are willing to satisfy us that the
23 McLibel Support campaign have not had the transcripts from
24 the Defendants, we remain of the view that they have abused
25 our generosity, that they are in no position to complain
26 about the difficulty which this may place them in in
27 pursuing this case.
28
29 I proposed yesterday that we would certainly reconsider the
30 matter if we could have an undertaking from the Defendants,
31 an express undertaking -- and I now say in writing -- that
32 they will keep the transcripts to themselves. It would
33 help in our believing the validity of that undertaking if
34 they could explain how it is that the McLibel Support
35 campaign, apparently, is able to take quotes from these
36 distorted reports from the court transcripts.
37
38 That is a matter between the Defendants and my clients,
39 McDonald's. If the Defendants are willing to swallow their
40 pride and go down that road, then we will certainly
41 seriously reconsider the matter. They have shown no sign
42 of being willing to do that, despite my invitation to them
43 last night.
44
45 MS. STEEL: I do not think Mr. Morris has actually finished.
46 I thought that -----
47
48 MR. RAMPTON: I am very sorry. I thought that he had.
49
50 MS. STEEL: He was being asked about the cost of provision of
51 transcripts.
52
53 MR. RAMPTON: I have a good deal more to say, so I will sit
54 down.
55
56 MS. STEEL: I thought there was an enquiry about the cost of
57 provision of transcripts, and that was why Mr. Rampton got
58 up, because Mr. Morris had not finished what he was going
59 to say.
60
