Day 243 - 02 May 96 - Page 27

     
     1        she is an isolated witness.  She does not relate to any
     2        other current topic.
     3
     4        My Lord, then after that I am left only with my publication
     5        witnesses who are Mr. Nicholson, Mr. Clare,
     6        Mr. Pocklington, Mr. Bishop and Mr. Russell, plus a
     7        solicitor, Mr. Howse, who is a very short witness.  My
     8        Lord, I would hope to be able to start those witnesses in
     9        that same week, the one beginning 10th June.
    10
    11   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I think you should put them in.  You should
    12        fit them in from the beginning of that week, Monday,
    13        10th May.
    14
    15   MR. RAMPTON:  I will do that, my Lord, and then we will produce
    16        a ------
    17
    18   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  They should be stacked up as well not to
    19        question one witness a day or even one a half a day; they
    20        should, in my view -- it is an exaggeration to say "queuing
         up to start", but they should be ready, the one to go in
    22        after the one before as soon as they have finished,
    23        regardless of what time of day it is.
    24
    25   MR. RAMPTON:  I will do that, my Lord.  I will make sure that
    26        they overlap for that reason.
    27
    28   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  When you come to your publication witnesses,
    29        I would like you to make the same arrangement because, as
    30        we get towards the end of evidence in any trial, the
    31        capacity for having gaps decreases.  I do not mind saying
    32        my reluctance to have gaps increases.  Although I have done
    33        my best to accommodate the convenience of witnesses, a time
    34        comes when they either come or they do not come and that
    35        applies to witnesses on both sides.
    36
    37   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, if I am able to do what your Lordship has
    38        asked (and I would respectfully say that I believe it to be
    39        a very good idea), I will list them two a day, so that even
    40        if we get to quarter to four, there is somebody in court
         who can come straightaway and ------
    42
    43   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  My indication is that they must be stacked
    44        up.  It may involve some of them waiting.  Unhappily,
    45        people in their profession are more than used to that, but
    46        that is a sacrifice which has to be made, if need be, so we
    47        do not lost unnecessary time.
    48
    49   MR. RAMPTON:  No, my Lord, I quite understand that.  We will do
    50        our very best to achieve that.  My Lord, the only other 
    51        thing I need to say, I think, is that because of the 
    52        amendment to the Defence which asserts certain things in 
    53        relation to Mr. Nicholson, and also asserts certain things
    54        in relation to the inquiry agents, it will be necessary for
    55        me to seek your Lordship's leave -- obviously, they must
    56        deal with those allegations -- for them to use
    57        supplementary witness statements.
    58
    59   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.  In theory, I do not see any problem
    60        with that because it is a recent amendment introduced as a