A barrister preparing a defence in a criminal case needs at least two mental abilities. The first ability is the ability to predict moves, like a chess master. The second is the ability to look at the case from various viewpoints : the viewpoint of the prosecution, the viewpoint of the judge, the viewpoint of the jury, and so on.
(There are psychologists, by the way, who maintain that an accused man, especially when guilty, goes through a similar internal dialogue, dissecting the circumstances and accusing, excusing, grilling, condemning... etc. himself. I have always thought that this was too generous an interpretation, since quite a lot of criminals have all the insight, curiosity and empathy of a brick - which rather explains why they became criminals in the first place.)
Now on to "The Dock Brief", an unusual little satire which shows the preparation of a defence in a criminal case. It illustrates the work of a barrister and it does so in a very vivid way. The barrister discovers the how and why of the crime ; the barrister gets to know the client and gains his trust ; he discusses tactics and strategies with him and listens to his feedback. In the process both men become human chameleons, taking on the part, indeed the persona, of a judge, a witness, an outside observer,...
This quality gives "The Dock Brief" a surreal, even absurd atmosphere ; at times it feels like something written by a Eugène Ionesco.
You'll notice that the barrister appointed to this case is but moderately gifted. This is indeed the structural problem with this whole system of "free" or "pro Deo" defence : quite often the defendant gets a barrister who's young, overworked, unwilling or inexperienced. (I once heard the sad tale of a man accused of petty theft, who was given a "pro Deo" lawyer. The lawyer arrived with a face like thunder, stating that he, personally, deeply despised rapists.) As a result our prisons are filled disproportionally with those too poor to pay a hefty fee.
In conclusion : a minor movie that's an intelligent and interesting satire rather than a "laugh a minute" comedy. Should make a good teaching tool for law school.
(There are psychologists, by the way, who maintain that an accused man, especially when guilty, goes through a similar internal dialogue, dissecting the circumstances and accusing, excusing, grilling, condemning... etc. himself. I have always thought that this was too generous an interpretation, since quite a lot of criminals have all the insight, curiosity and empathy of a brick - which rather explains why they became criminals in the first place.)
Now on to "The Dock Brief", an unusual little satire which shows the preparation of a defence in a criminal case. It illustrates the work of a barrister and it does so in a very vivid way. The barrister discovers the how and why of the crime ; the barrister gets to know the client and gains his trust ; he discusses tactics and strategies with him and listens to his feedback. In the process both men become human chameleons, taking on the part, indeed the persona, of a judge, a witness, an outside observer,...
This quality gives "The Dock Brief" a surreal, even absurd atmosphere ; at times it feels like something written by a Eugène Ionesco.
You'll notice that the barrister appointed to this case is but moderately gifted. This is indeed the structural problem with this whole system of "free" or "pro Deo" defence : quite often the defendant gets a barrister who's young, overworked, unwilling or inexperienced. (I once heard the sad tale of a man accused of petty theft, who was given a "pro Deo" lawyer. The lawyer arrived with a face like thunder, stating that he, personally, deeply despised rapists.) As a result our prisons are filled disproportionally with those too poor to pay a hefty fee.
In conclusion : a minor movie that's an intelligent and interesting satire rather than a "laugh a minute" comedy. Should make a good teaching tool for law school.