Criminal Justice a must-see series

By Lesley Hart

Published:

I’M ON a knife edge. What will become of Ben Coulter – on trial for the rape and murder of a young woman, but almost certainly innocent? Will justice prevail? Will the truth unravel? Or will our criminal justice system – “the best in the world”, according to Ben’s father – fail him and further ensnare the truth?

Of course, by the time you read this I’ll know – having watched all five episodes of TV drama Criminal Justice, which concluded last night on BBC1. But at the time of writing, it is Wednesday night, I’ve just finished watching part three and have two to go, so it’s still hanging in the balance. Will the jury find him guilty – yes or no?

How apt that scales should symbolise the balance of justice and that this great series should pull off such a brilliant balancing act – weighing each element of the drama against the others so skilfully that you never know which way it might swing next.

As with all great drama, the characters are defined by what they do, and changes come over them with every action – sometimes subtle, sometimes profound. To begin with, an ordinary, happy-go-lucky young man, Ben Coulter, has a chance encounter with a girl whose reckless influence leads him to behave quite out of character: popping pills, playing knife games and stealing ice creams, not to mention partaking of what Ben later terms “odd” sex.

He goes downstairs, falls asleep at the kitchen table, then later wakes up, returns to the bedroom and finds the girl stabbed in the chest. In his panic, he clumsily attempts to cover it up, leaving the crime scene with the knife in his pocket and blood on his hands.

He then crashes his dad’s taxi, which he borrowed for the night when his own car wouldn’t start (also quite out of character). As soon as the police arrive, the criminal justice system kicks into gear and Ben becomes prime suspect in what appears to be an open-and-shut murder case.

As an audience, we become gripped by the hope that the truth will prevail, and by the plight of a young man in alien territory, desperately trying to survive and to clear his name. We are also compelled to seek out the missing piece of the puzzle: how did the girl, Melanie, die? If Ben didn’t kill her, who did? And why can’t Ben remember what happened?

IN THIS series, every incident, word, character and viewpoint is intricately woven into the fabric of the piece so that every part contributes to the solving of the plot. Clever structuring and skilful pacing ensure that the viewer remains active in uncovering the truth, weighing each piece of information against the others, like a jury.

The fact that the lawyers in the drama are less concerned with truth than tactics is a most compelling factor. Indeed, it seems that with Criminal Justice, writer and former barrister Peter Moffat is cross-examining the criminal justice system from every different angle in an attempt to lay bare the truth of how complex and oppressive it can be, and how the truth itself is often deemed irrelevant.

From the moment he falls into police custody, Ben’s version of events is almost roundly ignored or corrupted by police officers and lawyers – some well-intentioned, some not.

His shambolic, unshaven solicitor tells him he doesn’t want to hear the truth and instructs him instead to answer all police questions with “no comment”. The police chief, masterfully played by Bill Paterson, removes a vital piece of evidence from the crime scene because it casts doubt on Ben’s guilt. However, we also know that his well trained gut weighs heavily against his rationale on this one.

How do you resolve a case where the evidence so clearly points towards guilt but the suspect exudes the qualities of innocence? In this series, nothing can be taken at face value and we see many sides to the story. But how will it ultimately unfold? At this stage – and I suspect until the very last moment – it could go either way for Ben Coulter.

APART from being brilliantly written and starring the wonderful Bill Paterson, Criminal Justice boasts a stunning cast, not least in the leading role, played by Ben Whishaw – an astonishing, precocious young talent (I’m so jealous). Ben’s character is a kind of everyman. From the first moment we see him, he strikes a chord, drawing us into his story, and into empathy with him. Also notable in the cast is the always brilliant Pete Postlethwaite as Ben’s ageing cell mate.

Lindsay Duncan is mesmerising as his icy defence barrister and Con O’Neil delights as his shambolic solicitor, who rallies behind him unexpectedly after being dropped from the case, defying all expectations – not least his own.

Criminal Justice exceeds my expectations of what a prime time, five-part “event” drama should be – both in terms of quality and definition.

As Kate Harwood, the BBC head of series and serials, said: “This is not a prison, legal or police drama. Peter Moffat has created something beyond these labels. He has delivered an exceptional and audacious piece of writing – full of colour, texture and humour. This is a combative, insightful and sophisticated look at the criminal justice system.”

If you think you might disagree with Kate Harwood, or me, balance your own view against ours by watching the series. If you haven’t already seen it, or recorded it, and don’t have access to it through the internet, do what you can to get hold of a copy. It’s not every day we get a piece of television that everyone should see, but this is one of them.

By the time you read this, the fate of Ben Coulter will no longer be hanging in the balance, but the fate of my right knee will.

Shifting briefly away from Criminal Justice, I have a trial of my own to face tomorrow: the Stonehaven Half Marathon. This would be gruelling enough with two good, working legs, but I have a nearly healed/still busted knee to contend with. Will I get round the whole thing running/walking/hopping/in one piece/at all? You’ll have to tune in next week to find out.