Radio Times: Review by:; David Butcher

This episode’s history lesson will intrigue fans of Garrow’s Law. Our presenter, barrister Harry Potter, visited the set last year as part of his explanation of the real William Garrow’s startling effect on English justice. Before Garrow came along, there were 200 offences punishable by death, and if facing the noose for, say, stealing horses, your case could be decided in a 15-minute trial where you had no recourse to a lawyer.

It was incredibly crude – “Russian roulette”, says Potter. But Garrow managed to shift the whole balance of proof. Yet despite all this, he’s not Potter’s all-time hero. That honour goes to one Thomas Erskine.

About this programme

3/3. Barrister Harry Potter explores changes to English law in the 19th century that put the defence on an equal footing to the prosecution. Previously the trial process had been heavily biased against the defendant and trials for offences carrying the death penalty could be over in minutes. The alterations to the system saw the rise of the defence barrister, and Harry's examination of the transformation involves spies, forgery, fraud, murder and a visit to the set of Garrow's Law. Last in the series.