Day 308 - 28 Nov 96 - Page 17

     
     1        "It has never been our intention to seek damages or
     2        recover costs from the Defendants."  Obviously, that is a
     3        lie which is put out by Mike Love.  So, he is obviously not
     4        concerned remotely whether or not he is telling the truth--
     5        and this is telling the truth to an MP.  You might think
     6        that he might make a bit more effort to be truthful.
     7
     8   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Simple minds like me think it does not much
     9        matter who it is, because you should not tell lies to
    10        anyone ---
    11
    12   MS. STEEL:   That is true.
    13
    14   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  -- unless it is just saying that you like
    15        your wife's dress.
    16
    17   MS. STEEL:  I agree with that.  I agree with that entirely.
    18
    19   MR. MORRIS:  Something we all agree on.
    20
    MS. STEEL:   In tab 10, there is the letter to
    22        Mr. Ken Livingstone MP, 6th February 1996.  At the bottom
    23        of the second page -- this is Mike Love again -- "It has
    24        never been our intention to seek damages or to recover
    25        costs from the Defendants."
    26
    27   MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
    28
    29   MS. STEEL:   There is a third example in tab 11.
    30
    31   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Let me make a note of that.
    32
    33   MS. STEEL:   Sorry.  (Pause)  There is a third one in tab 11,
    34        which is a letter to Mr. P. Wood in Liverpool, dated
    35        27th February 1996, from Mike Love; and this was to do with
    36        a letter that had been written to Arsenal Football Club,
    37        asking them to take down the hoardings advertising
    38        McDonald's at the stadium.  Mike Love says in this letter
    39        on page 2:  "It has never been our intention to seek
    40        damages or to recover costs from the Defendants."
    41
    42        Just so that I do not miss anything out -----
    43
    44   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just pause for a moment.  (Pause)
    45
    46   MS. STEEL:   Can I carry on, or not?
    47
    48   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.
    49
    50   MS. STEEL:   I want to whip through the documents that are in 
    51        supplementary list 9, so that I do not miss out any other 
    52        points I wanted to make. 
    53
    54        In tab 3 is a copy of the Libel Action Background Briefing
    55        dated 5/94.  Just an additional point that has not really
    56        come up is the bit where it says, under "There are a number
    57        of additional issues which have been raised":
    58
    59        "It has also been suggested that McDonald's has the unfair
    60        benefit of legal advice.  The group have long had the