In this Scottish legal drama, an Edinburgh advocate tests the limits of the country’s unique justice system while defending clients accused of murder.
In the first serial, advocate Katherine Dunbar (Isla Blair) takes on the defence of a young man from a housing estate accused of murdering a prostitute. Aided by her junior, Greg McDowell (Ewan Stewart), Katherine’s investigation puts her in conflict with the uncooperative procurator fiscal, Archie Hoseason (Hugh Ross), and uncovers a web of corruption.
The second serial finds Katherine defending Dr. James McCandlish (Michael Kitchen), a respected GP accused of murdering a troublesome patient. His work at a clinic for drug addicts provides several alternative suspects, including the victim’s aggrieved relatives, John and Janie Naismith (Hugh Fraser and Siobhan Redmond). The case attracts a high media profile, placing Katherine’s methods under intense scrutiny.
The Advocates distinguished itself from the legion of British legal dramas by immersing its narrative in the unique procedures and architecture of the Scottish justice system. Its two serials, broadcast a year apart, used their Edinburgh setting not merely as a backdrop but as a core element of their identity. The scripts, first by Alma Cullen and then by John Cooper, authentically incorporated the distinct terminology of Scots law, creating a procedural texture that felt fresh and specific.
The production made strong use of the city’s contrasts, moving between the austere courts of the legal establishment and the deprived housing estates on its periphery. Supported by a formidable cast of Scottish actors, including a notable early role for Robert Carlyle, the programme was a sharp, atmospheric, and regionally confident piece of work.
Broadcast: ITV – Scottish Television, 6 Episodes, 2 April 1991 – 23 March 1992
Written by: Alma Cullen, John Cooper
Director: Peter Barber-Fleming
Producer: Murray Ferguson
Executive Producer: Robert Love
Main Cast: Isla Blair (Katherine Dunbar), Ewan Stewart (Greg McDowell), Hugh Ross (Archie Hoseason), Alison Peebles (Vivien Liddell), Stella Gonet (Alex Abercorn), Michael Byrne (Campbell Reid), Clive Russell (Chief Inspector Ross), Michael Kitchen (Dr James McCandlish), Hugh Fraser (John Naismith), Siobhan Redmond (Janie Naismith), Rachel Weisz (Sarah Thompson), Robert Carlyle (Detective Constable Murray)
