Wednesday 6 July 2005

MEDIA ALERT

Court argument concludes over Gunns' "incomprehensible" statement of claim

The first serious argument in the mammoth case of Gunns v environmentalists concludes today in the Victorian Supreme Court.

Final submissions will be heard this afternoon following three days of argument. Defendants are applying to strike-out all or part of the amended Statement of Claim served last Friday by lawyers for Gunns. Defendants have spent the last day and a half complaining that, despite its 360 pages, many of the defendants are unable to determine the case against them. In hearing the case, Justice Bongiorno told Gunns' lawyers in the course of the argument that:

"The problem with this document, which might just be a form problem, is that I find it totally incomprehensible."

Justice Bongiorno further observed that were a defendant to seek to establish the claims against them,"it's a tortuous course. It would make Burke and Wills and other explorers like them quake in their boots."

There are 118 instances within the amended Statement of Claim in which it states further details of the allegations will be provided later in the court process.

Counsel for Gunns is currently explaining the Statement of Claim to the court. The argument concludes today.

For further comment, contact:

Roland Browne (counsel for defendant #12) 0419 388 360

The Wilderness Society (defendant #6) 0409 096 519

General Legal inquiries Adam Beeson 0428 217 707

Please note corrected date for this alert­ a duplicate of alert sent out earlier today dated Tuesday 5 July 2005.