Criminal Justice

BBC

BBC One

Criminal Justice is a compelling new five-part thriller written by the highly acclaimed Peter Moffat. Made by BBC Drama Production, Criminal Justice will transmit over five consecutive nights on BBC One.
Rising star Ben Whishaw (Perfume, I'm Not There) heads an impressive British ensemble cast which includes: Pete Postlethwaite (In The Name Of The Father, Brassed Off), Bill Paterson (Sea Of Souls), David Harewood (Blood Diamond, The Vice), Con O'Neill (Learners) and Lindsay Duncan (Longford, Perfect Strangers).

One mad night and Ben Coulter's life is changed forever. As he gets ready to go out on the town, the 21-year-old looks in the mirror. It will be the last time he's able to recognise the person who looks back.

Little does Ben know that a wild encounter with a sexy young woman will tear his life apart. Within 24 hours he will be charged with murder and – what's worse – he can't remember what happened the night before.
What follows is a rollercoaster ride through the criminal justice system across the five episodes; where the truth is optional and what counts is playing the game, in order to come out on top.
No one wants to hear Ben's side of the story; a complex game of cat and mouse begins as soon as he is arrested, played out between the duty solicitor, the world-weary Stone (Con O'Neill) and the pugnacious DCI Box (Bill Paterson).

Ben's shocked parents don't know where to turn and deep down there is a terrifying doubt: could their son really be a murderer?
Ben's world becomes a labyrinth of oppressive places: police station, prison and courtroom. As Ben steps off the prison bus he has to learn to survive alongside cellmates and hardened career criminals Hooch (Pete Postlethwaite) and Freddie Graham (David Harewood).
Lost in this alien world, Ben has little sense of where things start or finish, and who is in charge.

Criminal Justice is written by former barrister Peter Moffat, whose previous dramas have been critically acclaimed and enjoyed popular success. Hawking was both BAFTA and Emmy nominated. Other credits include Cambridge Spies and Macbeth for the BBC and North Square for Channel 4. His forthcoming dramas include BBC One's Einstein And Eddington starring David Tennant and Andy Serkis.

Criminal Justice is directed by Otto Bathurst and Luke Watson. Otto's credits include last year's highly acclaimed thriller Five Days and the popular hit Hustle.
 

Criminal Justice was produced by Pier Wilkie (When I'm Sixty-Four, A Midsummer Night's Dream), and executive produced by Hilary Salmon (The Passion, Five Days).

 Ben Whishaw plays Ben Coulter

Ben is a regular 21-year-old with a sensitive nature and a trusting, happy-go-lucky outlook. At the end of an uncharacteristic drug- and drink-fuelled night out, he finds himself charged with murder.

 

Unable to recall what transpired with all the evidence pointing towards him, Ben is looking at a life sentence. He thinks if he tells the truth, he will be believed – his legal team, however, know otherwise.

Bill Paterson plays Detective Superintendent Harry Box

DSI Box is a cynical copper who relies on his gut instinct when it comes to assessing the innocence, or otherwise, of the suspects before him. He is evangelical about avenging the victims of crime but has made a pact with the devil in order to protect the unwitting public.

Up against the practical obstacles of small budgets, lack of manpower and legal restrictions, Box has allowed the criminals to police themselves as long as they leave the public alone. His wilful blindness has terrible consequences.

Characters:

Pete Postlethwaite plays Hooch

Hooch is an insightful, world-weary, once-violent criminal. He has finally learnt to stop fighting what he can't overcome and has found a place for himself in the world as a "listener", a therapist and emotional support to his fellow inmates. Ben's plight draws out all Hooch's protective instincts as he puts himself on the line for his friend.

David Harewood plays Freddy Graham

Graham is a cultured, highly intelligent crime lord who is as adept at manipulating and reading the psychology of his fellow inmates and prison guards as he is at drug-running. He gains sadistic enjoyment from corrupting Ben, and his pleasure is intensified when he realises that Ben might be innocent.

Lindsay Duncan plays Alison Slaughter

Charming and ruthless by turns, Slaughter is forensic in her execution of an argument and is sure of her own brilliance – unruffled by any setbacks and more than confident of winning a seemingly unwinnable case. At the end of the day, she is undone by her own arrogance in ignoring the wishes of her client in how she presents his case.

Con O'Neill plays Stone

Pragmatic above all, Ben's solicitor could be considered cynical but for his fervent belief that it's the professional results that matter, rather than how you achieve them or whether his client is innocent or guilty.
Stone's instinct for what will best serve their case is unerring, and Frances and Ben ignore his advice to their peril. Stone is dogged in his fight to get the best possible result for his client.

Vineeta Rishi plays Frances Kapoor

Fatally idealistic and dangerously close to professionally reckless, Frances lets her heart do the driving. Frances believes that if she acquiesces to her client's desire to simply tell the truth, then justice will prevail. Her lack of cynicism and pragmatism have catastrophic results, but her loyalty and perseverance could help save the day.

Ian Peck plays Milroy

A psychopathically violent career criminal, Milroy is a bully in search of a victim – and Ben is it.

Ruth Negga plays Melanie Lloyd

Beautiful, mysterious and charismatic, Melanie proves to be irresistible to the normally cautious Ben.

David Westhead plays Barry Coulter

Barry is a pathologically loyal father to Ben, who ignores all evidence that points to his son's certain guilt.

Juliet Aubrey plays Mary Coulter

Ben's devoted mother loves her son no less for believing that he really is a murderer.

Sam Alexander plays PC Simon Jeary

PC Jeary is a wet-behind-the-ears constable who, despite his tender years, holds his own with Slaughter under cross examination.

Holly Atkins plays PC Karen Briggs

PC Briggs is a police officer whose demeanour is tougher than she first appears.

Johann Myers plays Roland Roy

Freddy Graham's henchman is, by turns, amusing and menacing.