Britains longest libel trial

Unamused, McDonald's sued Ms. Steel, Mr. Morris and three other members of London Greenpeace for libel. The three others apologized and promised never to do it again. But Mr. Morris, now 42, and Ms. Steel, 31, vowed to fight back in court. Steel said. It's McDonald's who should be apologizing to the public for the damage they cause to society and the environment.

Because they cannot afford lawyers, they are representing themselves. And since they spend all their free time reading McLibel-related documents, they have to hold strategy meetings in the subway, as they travel to and from the courthouse. So far, the case has generated 40, pages of documents, 30, pages of transcripts and headaches for everyone concerned, including the judge, who spends much of his time explaining the fine points of law to the defendants. The defendants, too, are wearing out.

In this case, Mr. Steel are faced with the daunting task of proving every far-reaching charge in the original anti-McDonald's pamphet. The effort has resulted in a parade of some witnesses testifying on everything from the effects of used coffee cups on landfills to whether a Big Mac, fries and a shake constitute a nutritious meal. McDonald's has countered all their claims, bringing in its top executives to testify to the company's integrity and responsibility.

Meanwhile, the McLibel Two, as they are called, have become folk heroes to thousands of people around the world who are following the case on the Internet, where a much-expanded version of the pamphlet that McDonald's objected to in the first place is circulating. The Internet campaign has volunteers in 25 countries, including, in Craftsbury, Vt. He says the lack of legal aid resulted in a gross inequality of arms and was also a total false economy.

A case that should have lasted three weeks went on for months, preventing other cases from being heard. The whole thing was madness. The case became the longest trial in English legal history, but according to Stephens it would not even be heard today.

The company would have to show that the statements complained about had caused or were likely to cause serious harm in the form of serious financial loss. Landmarks in law: McLibel and the longest trial in British legal history.

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