The Jury: Murder Trial

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2025
Season 2
4 episodes

Documentary

Summary

2025 BAFTA-winning. How much can we trust our justice system? As a real-life murder trial is restaged for a jury of 12 ordinary people, will they reach the same verdict as the original trial?

Episode 1: The Crime

Summary

A word-by-word restaging of a real-life murder trial, in which a young mother find herself in the dock after stabbing her boyfriend in the chest with a kitchen knife. She says it was self-defence - but the ultimate decision lies with the jury, made up of 12 local members of the public. Will they reach the same verdict as the original trial?

Review

Jane Rackham

Nobody knows what goes on when a jury retires to deliberate a case, other than those who are in the room. This returning documentary series, stripped throughout the week, gives us an inkling.

It replicates a real murder case, using actors speaking from court transcripts in front of 12 ordinary people — like a real jury they’re of all ages, opinions and walks of life — to observe the judicial process and see whether they reach the same verdict as the original decision-makers.

The case, which has been tweaked to make it anonymous, is about the fatal stabbing of a young man by his girlfriend. What the jury must decide is whether she acted in self-defence. What becomes clear very quickly is how much people’s individual experiences colour their opinions, and how the bigger voices in a group can dominate and even influence the discussions. One man seems to have made his mind up almost immediately, while others are swayed by each new piece of evidence. There’s more tomorrow at the same time.

How to watch

Next showing

There are no live broadcasts scheduled for this show. But it is available via the streaming provider below.

Streaming

Channel 4

Details

Languages

Formats

Colour

Credits

Cast

rolenameSophie FairlowGeorgia HughesJudge Justice KingswoodRichard HuwDianna BakersfieldAlexandra GilbreathJennifer WardCharlotte PykeRyan HargroveCharles HumphreysMary CrossfordKaren HenthornHelen WantonChris KerryFraser HargroveAnthony LewisPaul TemplesKaya MooreAndrew BartonerEllis EyresArchie HargroveRonnie YorkeDr Thomas AbingdonIan ConninghamMia, Sophie's ChildBleu CalderYoung SophieAva PorterJunior Defence BarristerCristina PaganiJunior Prosecution BarristerRoxanne VellaCourt clerkSofia PriceClerk assistantBenjamin Van ParysSecurity guardMair TerrySophie's mumJodie StocksSophie's friendJessica KewleyRyan's friendElle Pinder999 operatorAl Bollands

Crew

rolenameNarratorGreg WiseSeries producerAmy WillettsSeries directorMisha Manson-SmithExecutive producerEd KellieExecutive producerAlf LawrieProducerAlex HudsonDirectorAlex HudsonProducerDavid MetcalfDirectorDavid MetcalfProducerLibby OvertonDirectorLibby OvertonProducerTom ReadDirectorTom Read

All episodes

Episode 4

The Verdict

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Episode 4

Episode #2.4

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Episode 3

The Prosecution

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Episode 3

Episode #2.3

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Episode 2

The Defence

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Episode 2

Episode #2.2

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Episode 1

The Crime

Summary

A word-by-word restaging of a real-life murder trial, in which a young mother find herself in the dock after stabbing her boyfriend in the chest with a kitchen knife. She says it was self-defence - but the ultimate decision lies with the jury, made up of 12 local members of the public. Will they reach the same verdict as the original trial?

Review

Jane Rackham

Nobody knows what goes on when a jury retires to deliberate a case, other than those who are in the room. This returning documentary series, stripped throughout the week, gives us an inkling.

It replicates a real murder case, using actors speaking from court transcripts in front of 12 ordinary people — like a real jury they’re of all ages, opinions and walks of life — to observe the judicial process and see whether they reach the same verdict as the original decision-makers.

The case, which has been tweaked to make it anonymous, is about the fatal stabbing of a young man by his girlfriend. What the jury must decide is whether she acted in self-defence. What becomes clear very quickly is how much people’s individual experiences colour their opinions, and how the bigger voices in a group can dominate and even influence the discussions. One man seems to have made his mind up almost immediately, while others are swayed by each new piece of evidence. There’s more tomorrow at the same time.

How to watch

Next showing

There are no live broadcasts scheduled for this show. But it is available via the streaming provider below.

Streaming
- Channel 4
Details

Languages

Formats

Colour

Credits

Cast

rolenameSophie FairlowGeorgia HughesJudge Justice KingswoodRichard HuwDianna BakersfieldAlexandra GilbreathJennifer WardCharlotte PykeRyan HargroveCharles HumphreysMary CrossfordKaren HenthornHelen WantonChris KerryFraser HargroveAnthony LewisPaul TemplesKaya MooreAndrew BartonerEllis EyresArchie HargroveRonnie YorkeDr Thomas AbingdonIan ConninghamMia, Sophie's ChildBleu CalderYoung SophieAva PorterJunior Defence BarristerCristina PaganiJunior Prosecution BarristerRoxanne VellaCourt clerkSofia PriceClerk assistantBenjamin Van ParysSecurity guardMair TerrySophie's mumJodie StocksSophie's friendJessica KewleyRyan's friendElle Pinder999 operatorAl Bollands

Show more

Crew

rolenameNarratorGreg WiseSeries producerAmy WillettsSeries directorMisha Manson-SmithExecutive producerEd KellieExecutive producerAlf LawrieProducerAlex HudsonDirectorAlex HudsonProducerDavid MetcalfDirectorDavid MetcalfProducerLibby OvertonDirectorLibby OvertonProducerTom ReadDirectorTom Read

Show more
Episode 1

Episode #2.1

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Series 2 Trailer

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