Day 283 - 21 Oct 96 - Page 05
1 images that get them to pester their parents to drag them
2 into the stores. And in this case we are going to say
3 their reputation is further, their real reputation,
4 revealed not only by the truth about their business
5 practice but also by a range of untruths and deception,
6 deceptive statements and even lies put out by their
7 representatives.
8
9 Now, before this case started Mr. Rampton estimated, on
10 December 21st 1993, that it was pessimistically due to last
11 three to four weeks.
12
13 MR JUSTICE BELL: That is not quite right, actually. The
14 original time estimate was five weeks and after service of
15 some more witness statements on behalf of McDonald's it was
16 readjusted to 12.
17
18 MR. MORRIS: Yes, I can get the transcript reference, but it
19 was on 21st December, I think, three to four weeks
20 pessimistically without a jury, with a jury six to seven
21 weeks. It is not important.
22
23 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, you may be right.
24
25 MR. MORRIS: And this is important, because we believe that
26 McDonald's brought this case convinced, first of all, that
27 it would not get to court, but when they saw that it would
28 get to court they would wipe the floor with us, because of
29 our lack of experience and lack of legal aid. And
30 Mr. Rampton said on the first day in his opening speech
31 that -- which of course I cannot find -- what these
32 plaintiffs seek is in effect a declaration by a judge at
33 the High Court in England that the allegations complained
34 of are false, why they are false and they are not be
35 repeated.
36
37 MR JUSTICE BELL: If you actually read from a transcript, I say
38 it now to take the opportunity, I have got the date,
39 although you did not give it, I remember that is 28th June
40 1994 -- it will remain in my memory till the day I die --
41 and what I would like you to do is give me the date and
42 then the page. Then I can, if I think it worth looking at
43 for myself, find it quickly.
44
45 MR. MORRIS: Right. It is page 27, line 28. Can I just say
46 that all my references that I have are with the day numbers
47 first rather than the date. I can try to match them with
48 the dates.
49
50 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No, give one or the other, so far as I am
51 concerned.
52
53 MR. MORRIS: That will help. Thank you. And to us it was
54 clear that McDonald's were hoping for what could only be
55 called a show trial where - well, a show trial. The
56 McDonald's corporation brought this case, they are the lead
57 plaintiff. They could not, we believe, bring such a case
58 in the USA, and we have had to ask ourselves why the
59 corporation should be seeking a declaration from the UK
60 High Court which it can use worldwide to sanction their
