Trial, The

Synopsis

For the first time television cameras were allowed into the Scottish High Court to film the proceedings of real cases. Courtroom scenes are intercut with interviews with police, prosecution and defence, and with the defencant, who describe how the case is progressing.
1: A retired civil servant is beaten to death on his way home. The jury must evaluate the importance of a strange piece of evidence for a crime that appears to have no motive and no witnesses.
2: The trial of James Robertson, a quiet family man, accused of attempted murder after two years of verbal and violent conflict with his neighbours.
3: George More, one of Scotland’s top defence solicitors, with a reputation for effectiveness and aggressiveness in court, believes the legal system is weighted against ordinary people. Follows More’s defence of a woman accused of shoplifting and his colleague’s defence of a dangerous driver.
4: Follows the case of a Portuguese waiter standing trial for an attempted armed robbery of an Aberdeen nightclub.
5: The hectic and varied work of one of Scotland’s procurators fiscal, who is seen opposing bail in the Edinburgh Sheriff Court and prosecuting in the Summary Trial Court.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Video; Videocassette. Standard formats. col. 5 x 50 min.

Year of production

1994

Availability

Sale; 1996 sale: £99.00 (+VAT +p&p) each 1996 sale: £250.00 (+VAT +p&p) series

Notes

Broadcast on BBC2 from 18 Nov 1994.

Subjects

Law

Keywords

courtroom procedures; courtroom trials; law courts; Scotland

Credits

Producer

Nick Catliff

Contributor

Elizabeth Clough

Sections

Title

Loan path murder, The

Synopsis

1: A retired civil servant is beaten to death on his way home. The jury must evaluate the importance of a strange piece of evidence for a crime that appears to have no motive and no witnesses.

Title

Stab in the dark, A

Synopsis

2: The trial of James Robertson, a quiet family man, accused of attempted murder after two years of verbal and violent conflict with his neighbours.

Title

One angry man

Synopsis

3: George More, one of Scotland's top defence solicitors, with a reputation for effectiveness and aggressiveness in court, believes the legal system is weighted against ordinary people. Follows More's defence of a woman accused of shoplifting and his coll

Title

Daylight robbery

Synopsis

4: Follows the case of a Portuguese waiter standing trial for an attempted armed robbery of an Aberdeen nightclub.

Title

Sad, bad and mad

Synopsis

5: The hectic and varied work of one of Scotland's procurators fiscal, who is seen opposing bail in the Edinburgh Sheriff Court and prosecuting in the Summary Trial Court.

Sponsor

Name

BBC Television

Distributor

Name

BBC Active Video for Learning - now BBC Learning

Contact

Carolina Fernandez Jeremy Wilcox (CF - for educational enquiries JW - channel sales manager)

Email

BBCStudiosLearning@bbc.com

Web

https://www.bbcstudioslearning.com/ External site opens in new window

Phone

+44 (0) 20 8433 1009

Address

BBC Studios Limited
Television Centre
101 Wood Lane
London
W12 7FA
UK

Notes

The BBC Active company has now been absorbed within BBC Learning, a division of BBC Studios. It was originally a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Pearson Education. Formerly known as ‘BBC Worldwide Learning Studies’ and before that as ‘Videos for Education & Training’