Malcolm v. Oxford: Affidavit Margaret Goodall (original) (raw)

Malcolm vs. Oxford University, 1986 Chancery Division Ch M. 7710

Margaret Goodall (centre), on the occasion of her retirement in 2002 after 34 years service, with four of the five Secretaries to the Delegates with whom she had worked. This photo appeared in The Record, OUP's annual staff review, of December 2002, along with a tribute to her by Henry Reece, of which the following remarkable passage is an extract:

"Margaret joined OUP in October 1967 and worked for The Secretary Colin Roberts for seven years until 1974, then for George Richardson for 14 years, five years for Sir Roger Elliott, five years for James Arnold-Baker, and finally three-and-a-half years for me. (From left above: Richardson, Elliott, Reece, Arnold-Baker.) She also saw four chairmen of the Finance Committee: J.H.C. Thompson, Sir Roger Elliott, Sir Keith Thomas, and Sue Iversen. She looked after 68 Delegates of the Press, although it was not until 1987 that she was actually allowed into the Delegates' room to take the minutes herself. Her career spanned virtually all the changes that have gone to make the modern Press: the Waldock Report, which was in process when Margaret started; the closure of the Wolvercote Paper Mill; the closure of the Printing Works; and the move from London. There have inevitably been some difficult times over the years, and when I asked Margaret what had been her worst her answer was being questioned by Mr Andrew Malcolm in the High Court. It must be said that the transcript shows that she acquitted herself extremely well."

Affidavit sworn/filed 31st January 1990

I, JEAN MARGARET GOODALL of 5 Victor Street, Oxford, MAKE OATH and say as follows:

1. I am the Secretary of the Secretary to the Delegates and the Chief Executive af Oxford University Press and I am authorised to make this Affidavit on behalf of the Defendants. All facts and matters deposed to are within my own knowledge.

2. I am responsible for preparing the papers and Minutes for Delegates' Meetings. I was responsible for preparing the papers and Minutes for the Delegates' Meeting held on 23 July 1985.

3. I keep the original Minutes of each Delegates' Meeting in a binder entitled "Orders of the Delegates of the Oxford University Press." These original Minutes are typewritten, not hand-written. The original Minutes for the Delegates' Meeting held on 23 July 1985 are contained in a binder containing Minutes from April 1983 to March 1988.

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4. There is now produced and shown to me marked "JMG 1" a document comprising the Minutes of the Delegates' Meeting held on 23 July 1985. This document is a complete and true copy of the original Minutes of this Meeting.

5. Following each Delegates' Meeting, it is my practice to compile a document showing the details of publishing proposals accepted at each Meeting.

6. I compile this document for my use in monitoring the number of books accepted and the estimates of the financial commitment involved in publishing them. This information is used in the preparation of statistics.

7. It is my practice to compile such a document some time during the week following each Delegates' Meeting.

8. There is now produced and shown to me marked "JMG 2" [3 undated computer printouts put in evidence by Oxford in the (Red) file at B111, later found inadmissible in court] a document listing the details of publishing proposals accepted at the Delegates' Meeting held on 23 July 1985.

9. I compiled this document some time during the week following 23 July 1985 and since then this document has remained in my possession.

This Affidavit is filed on behalf of the Defendants, 31st January 1990.

Go to Goodall's next (contradictory) contribution or to her court cross-examination or to the next item in the Witnesses (yellow, blue) files.

Go to Malcolm's Statement of Claim, to the Case History, to the Affidavits: Ivon Asquith (1), Asquith (2), Henry Hardy, William Shaw (solicitor) (1), Sir Roger Elliott (1), Margaret Goodall, to the Witness Statements: Elliott, Hardy, Richard Charkin, Nicola Bion, Goodall, to the courtroom testimony of the Oxford Six, 14/3/1990: Elliott, Goodall, Bion, Asquith, Charkin, Hardy, to the testimony of Andrew Malcolm 13/3/1990, to the Chancery Court Judgment, to the Appeal Court Judgment, to the Damages assessment, to the Settlement agreement.

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