Defending the Guilty

- Season 1

(2019)

Enthusiastic trainee barrister Will Packham is vying with three others for a permanent place at his Chambers but feels he is just a dogs body to cynical senior Caroline. In the pub with snide rival Liam he meets and sleeps with the flirtatious Selina but she turns out to be a juror at Caroline's murder trial. However he also discovers evidence that discredits Liam and helps Caroline win her case, putting one over on smug prosecutor Ashley. This does not prevent his being mugged by a 'grateful' client.

Over the course of two days, Will has to defend a would-be murderer, keep a young slam poet out of custody and fetch Caroline a range of pastries.

As Will grapples with whether to tell his girlfriend about his recent indiscretion, his new-found notoriety throws up a juicy opportunity. Meanwhile Caroline wonders how much to reveal about a particularly unappealing client.

Caroline and Will take on a last-minute case, only to find themselves in a battle with the clock, a skittish victim and an underfunded system to bring a horrible criminal to justice.

Caroline and Will have to defend a man with an unusual obsession, and also get to know one another a little better.

Chambers puts the pupils through their paces in a professionally-acted mock trial. Will learns the brutal art of cross-examination from Caroline - only to find it's a skill he needs in his personal life too. Liam and Danielle spend time with the actors to plan their case, only for Liam to fudge the boundaries between reality and fiction.

It's the day the pupils get 'on their feet': addressing a court for the first time. But Will is reeling from the break-up of his relationship - and wondering whether the law is really for him.