0/5

Airdate: On Trial

ABC's new observational series about the courts features a murder trial, a major assault, and a robbery and assault trial.

ABC’s new observational series about the courts will begin early next month.

On Trial features a murder trial, a major assault, and a robbery and assault trial.

On Trial is a groundbreaking, five part documentary series featuring unprecedented access to major criminal trials in Australian courts. For the first time cameras have been granted full access to the Supreme Court of Western Australian and the District Court of NSW where criminal cases are dealt with before judge and jury.

On Trial takes viewers behind the scenes as they observe the emotional and legal journeys of the accused. Each case provides key insights into often controversial legal processes, our adversarial legal system, and the day to day operation of our courts.

On Trial charts the stories of both prosecution and defence as they undertake pre trial preparations in the tense build up before going to court. The series covers the jury selection process, opening addresses, examination of witnesses, cross examination and the summing up to juries and, if found guilty, sentencing. As well as charting the legal journey, the series traces the intimate emotional stories of the characters through observational coverage outside the court.

Produced by Ian Collie and Michael Cordell, the team responsible for A Case for the Coroner, DIY Law, and Suspicious Minds, On Trial is another compelling courtroom series that provides a rare insight into the criminal justice system and how people react under pressure.

In episode one, a man is accused of holding a pistol to the head of another man and threatening to shoot him. Granted extraordinary access to the trial and both legal teams, this two-part story follows the defence as they argue that the accused was actually the victim, not the aggressor.

It begins 8:30pm Thursday June 2nd on ABC1.

5 Responses

Leave a Reply