91Èȱ¬

Fresh from a successful defence for murder, Martha is immediately thrown two last-minute cases by the chambers' senior clerk Billy. The cases are being heard the following morning and Martha stays up all night preparing.

Next morning she is joined by Nick, her new 'pupil barrister' (trainee barrister), to whom she's showing the ropes and they hurry off to meet the defendants, Rush (an aggravated burglary) and Mercedes (the drug mule).

Rush is a quietly menacing man who questions whether Martha is up to the job while Mercedes is pregnant and evidently a victim of a cruel drug-running ring. Martha hasn't had a chance to prepare thoroughly and the judge passes a heavy sentence on Mercedes.

No time to lament her shortcomings, Martha moves on to the Rush case. Nick is convinced he is guilty, Martha argues that only the jury should decide his fate. The victim is Dodd, a sprightly elderly war hero. Martha's cross-questioning wins only sympathy for him especially when he reveals a precious medal for heroism was one of the items stolen.

Later at a party in her chambers for legal clients, the solicitor for the defendant (Rush) berates her for her apparent incompetence.

Next day in court Martha proves the police had led the witness to identify Rush as the burglar and tampered with the crime scene by removing evidence. She wins the case. Rush is a free man and Martha has furthered her cause in the race for Silk (to become a QC).

But as she's leaving chambers a package is left for her, rocking her sense that justice wins out in the end.

Maxine Peake is Martha Costello, Rupert Penry-Jones is Clive Reader, Neil Stuke is Billy Lamb, Tom Hughes is Nick Slade, Natalie Dormer is Niamh Cranitch, Nina Sosanya is Kate Brockman. Paul Hilton is Gary Rush, Christianne Oliveira is Mercedes Cordoba and Peter Vaughan is Michael Dodd.