Defending the Guilty – Series 1
Episodes
Pilot
Will Packham is an idealistic pupil barrister - or idealistic for now. His clients are at least as guilty as sin. His pupil-master Caroline thinks he is a gutless snowflake. His fellow pupils want the same job as him and would stab each other to get it. 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. Can Will hold onto his principles and prove he has what it takes?
Episode 2
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 let the jury know about a particularly unappealing client.
Episode 3
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. Meanwhile, the pupils’ battle for tenancy heats up, alliances are formed, and things get dirty.
Episode 4
A series of odd incidents on the tube lands Caroline and Will with a hard-to-read client. Harmless crank or weirdo perv? Meanwhile, Ashley is making political moves, and Will tries to get to know Caroline better, only to wish he hadn’t.
Episode 5
Chambers is putting 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 is a skill he needs in his personal life too.
Episode 6
It is 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.