Making plans

Morning campers

It is Day 5 of the Bates and others v Post Office common issues trial. It is the turn of the final Lead Claimant, Louise Dar, to be cross-examined today.

We’re due to finish at 3pm which means you should get your write-up slightly earlier than usual.

We are also going to find out the dates of the third (and hopefully final) trial in this GLO today. This will likely be known as the Breach trial. I know the judge is keen for it not to take place after the summer, so we are probably looking at May, but it depends on the legal teams’ availability and how long the solicitors think will be needed to prepare for it. The millions and millions of pounds being spent on this GLO is mind-boggling. I sincerely hope that whatever the result, there is a result and something happens, because otherwise this will just be a grand exercise in lawyer-enrichment.

I must admit I am struggling to get the court write-ups to you as quickly as I should, and I am sorry it was late yesterday.

I am trying to get all the relevant information together – documents, notes, photographs, format them for the delivery platforms and then give them structure, context and legibility. I can get everything to you quicker, but it will be shorter. Perhaps what I should do is send out an email linking to the live tweets as soon as the day has finished so you can read a precis of the whole day within half an hour of it finishing and then you will receive a more considered piece in the evening. At the moment I’m trying to ride two horses. In sports radio journalists file two pieces after each match – a final whistle report and then a “considered” piece an hour or so later.

I’ll try that today.

In other news I am marshalling the www.postofficetrial.com blog so that it becomes a proper resource for anyone who wants to read it. I have updated the first two days’ live tweets for legibility (Day 1 here and Day 2 here) and will do the same with this week’s tweets and all the witness statements as the week progresses. I’ll also post more links to more documents I’ve been sent.

Court starts in less than half an hour. Alan’s already come in to the Pret where I’m writing this to say hello. I’d like to apologise to everyone who’s actually come to court over the last week – I’m too busy attending to the wider duties of this blog etc to actually get much time to speak, which is very frustrating, but that’s what it is.

Keep forwarding the blog emails you get or send links direct to the blog – some of the documents will be eye-openers I am sure, and thanks to all the new contributors. I am storing up the cash so I can get through the second trial next year.

Thank you also for the huge volumes of feedback I am getting – I really do appreciate the messages. It is such a privilege to be able to do this and I once again am so grateful to everyone who has made any contribution, whatever the size.