FUJ00121536 - Letter from Miss Susanne Helliwell to Mr J Cruise re: Post Office Counters Ltd v Julie Wolstenholme

Evidence on official site

Mr J Cruise Contact Susanne Helliwell
Royal Mail Group plc

I I 14845.1

i G RO ; Your Ref

BY POST & Emai : Date 3 March 2004

Dear Jim
Post Office Counters Limited v Julie Wolstenholme

Further to my letter dated 26 February 2004, I enclose a copy of an email which I have
received from Jason Coyne at Best Practice Group Plc, the contents of which are self
explanatory. I should be grateful if you would provide me with your comments.

As you are aware, there is a Case Management Conference on 8 March 2004 and it is
likely that the Court will either list the matter for Trial at that Hearing or allocate a Trial
window.

I will therefore need to have details of the Post Office’s witnesses’ availability before the
Hearing and I should be grateful if you could provide me with details of the availability of
Elaine Tagg, Rebecca Robinson and Keith Baines for the period between 1 May 2004
and 31 October 2004. In the event that you wish me to contact the witnesses direct to
obtain details of their availability, please let me know.

One matter which may arise at the forthcoming Case Management Conference is the
possibility of mediation and if suggested by the Court, we will have little alternative but to
proceed to mediation. It may however be worth considering whether we should propose
that the parties attempt to reach a settlement by way of mediation as, if successful, the
costs will be significantly less than the costs of a Trial. I should be grateful if you would
provide me with your comments and instructions in this regard.

Further, as I have indicated in previous correspondence, now that we have received the
report of Best Practice Group Plc, we need to obtain an Advice from Counsel on the

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evidence and on the question of quantum. I consider that we should do this as soon as
possible and I should be grateful if you would confirm whether I may proceed to instruct
Counsel.

Yours sincerely

Susanne Helliwell
Associate