Recalled100200 - Focal Point Publications

International Campaign for Real History

Prof. Richard Evans as a neutral expert?

Evans David Irving challenges Prof. Evans — testifying on oath — about his manifest bias

Transcript Day 18, February 10, 2000

(Luncheon Adjournment)

Professor Evans, recalled.

Cross-Examined by Mr Irving, continued.

MR IRVING: Thank you, my Lord. There is one minor point I wanted to pick up from remarks that Mr Rampton made shortly towards the end where he referred to “black servants”. My Lord, you may remember the phrase.

MR JUSTICE GRAY: I do not remember.

MR IRVING: The phrase he used is black servants and this may be indicative of the mind-cast on that side of the courtroom. I certainly do not regard blacks as servants. They were my equals. I employed these Pakistanis, Indians, Sri Lankans, and so on as research assistants and personal assistants. They were not servants in any kind of menial way.

MR JUSTICE GRAY: Yes.

MR IRVING: Witness, you may have heard me described by Professor Donald Watt and others as “Britain’s most disliked historian”. Does that surprise you?

Evans Prof. Evans. Could you direct me to where he actually said that?

Q. Very well. We can move straight on to the next question. You do not like me, do you?

A. I have no personal feelings about you at all, Mr Irving.

P-110Q. I think we have seen this morning and from a number of your remarks that you dislike what I write, you dislike what I stand for, you dislike what you perceive my views to be. Is this correct?

A. I do not have any person feelings at all. I was simply asked to write a report, which I have done, about your writings and speeches.

Q. Well —-

A. I have tried to be as objective as possible.

Q. Yes of course.

A. And to leave any personal feelings I might possibly have out of it.

Q. There are a number of remarks which are now a matter of record on this morning’s transcript, which indicate that you hold strong personal views which are antipathetic towards me.

A. Such as?

Q. Well, they are a matter of record and I am sure that the court is familiar with them and this is why there was a rather astonished chuckle when you said that you held no views about me from those who had been listening to you this morning. You are aware of the fact of course, having written an expert report, that you have a duty to impartiality?

A. Absolutely. That is described in the last paragraph of my report.

P-111Q. Precisely. I was beginning to express astonishment of that fact and that is why I asked the question because I had the impression from this morning’s answers to the questions that you were averse to answering questions and that you held something bordering between distaste and loathing towards me and the books I write or the views that you perceive me to hold?

A. skunk Not at all. But it is the fact that I do find it very difficult to answer questions about reports written by other people. I am here to answer questions about my own report.