Daily Diary

Reality QC

Posted 9/07/2008 by Daily Diary

The BBC took a starring role in its own reality drama this week, as the screening of a new legal thriller prompted an exchange of harsh words.

Criminal Justice, a five-part series which was billed as a ‘rollercoaster ride through the criminal justice system’, drew a healthy audience of five million or so viewers for the BBC, but not all of them were completely happy with the not-particularly-surprising portrayal of a legal professional as A Bit Shady.

Chairman of the Bar Council, Timothy Dutton, was particularly miffed by the portrayal of a shifty QC, writing in to The Guardian to say: “The serial is not the basis upon which one can draw any sound conclusions about our system of justice. Criminal justice is not a game and it is a travesty to suggest practitioners see it in that way.”

However, series writer Stephen Moffat fired back: “It is about time the Bar faced the fact that like every other profession it has brilliant and fair-minded practitioners, those of average ability and the violent, dishonest and stupid working within it.”

Ouch. Any readers of the Diary with exciting tales of violence, dishonesty and/or stupidity at your firm or chambers, feel free to drop us an email with the full story so we can set the record straight.