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The Verdict (BBC)
Encyclopedia
The Verdict was a controversial 2007 BBC
television programme produced by RDF Media
in which twelve celebrities formed the jury
in the trial of a fictional rape
case. The programme was filmed with real legal and medical professionals, but with actors playing the victim, defendants, and witnesses. The jury considered their verdict in front of cameras.
), and his friend, James Greer (Mark Wood), charged with the rape of a young woman named Anna Crane (Alice O'Connell). The twelve jurors sat in judgement on a four-day unscripted trial in a real courtroom, presided over by a real judge - the recently retired Common Serjeant of London
, His Honour Neil Denison QC - with real barristers prosecuting and defending. The jury retired to begin their deliberations, with TV cameras to observe the jury as it reached its verdict.
The jury eventually reached either unanimous or majority verdicts of not guilty on all counts. Several members of the jury stated that they believed the rapes had taken place, but that insufficient evidence prevented a conviction.
UK, Refuge and Women's Aid. Professor Liz Kelly, the campaign chairwoman, said: "The Verdict is guilty of trivialising rape. This is reality television that misses much of the reality of rape - for example, the fact that most women are raped by someone they know. With rape rarely dealt with at any length by broadcasters, The Verdict is a missed opportunity to show the facts on rape. The bleak truth about rape is that little support or justice exists for women in this country" .
Others have criticised the decision of the programme producers for including Jeffrey Archer, as he would not currently be able to sit in a jury in real life due to his criminal conviction for perjury
(and as a peer, because juries are selected from amongst those on the Electoral Register, he would not be considered for selection irrespective of his perjury conviction), and Stan Collymore
who was accused of violence by his former girlfriend Ulrika Jonsson
, in the jury. The programme is also viewed as having selected women jurors who were dominated by the male jurors, and many felt they were simply going along with these men's views. Defenders of the programme claim that - far from trivialising rape - the programme brought the difficult and complex issues surrounding rape trials into the public consciousness, and highlighted the reasons why the conviction rate for rape cases in the UK remains so low .
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television programme produced by RDF Media
RDF Media
Zodiak Media is a Anglo-American television production company. It was formed in 2010 when RDF Media Group was acquired by, and merged with Zodiak Entertainment...
in which twelve celebrities formed the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
in the trial of a fictional rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
case. The programme was filmed with real legal and medical professionals, but with actors playing the victim, defendants, and witnesses. The jury considered their verdict in front of cameras.
Synopsis
The case featured the fictitious trial of a famous international footballer, Damien Scott (played by Javone PrinceJavone Prince
Javone Prince is a British comedian and actor. He has appeared in many British comedy television shows, such as; Horrible Histories, Sorry, I've Got No Head and Little Miss Jocelyn. He is most famous for starring as Jerwayne in PhoneShop. He is currently performing in the second series of PhoneShop...
), and his friend, James Greer (Mark Wood), charged with the rape of a young woman named Anna Crane (Alice O'Connell). The twelve jurors sat in judgement on a four-day unscripted trial in a real courtroom, presided over by a real judge - the recently retired Common Serjeant of London
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
, His Honour Neil Denison QC - with real barristers prosecuting and defending. The jury retired to begin their deliberations, with TV cameras to observe the jury as it reached its verdict.
The jury eventually reached either unanimous or majority verdicts of not guilty on all counts. Several members of the jury stated that they believed the rapes had taken place, but that insufficient evidence prevented a conviction.
Criticisms
The show has been criticised by a number of organisations, including the End Violence Against Women campaign group, who condemned the BBC2 programme. End Violence Against Women is a coalition whose members include Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
UK, Refuge and Women's Aid. Professor Liz Kelly, the campaign chairwoman, said: "The Verdict is guilty of trivialising rape. This is reality television that misses much of the reality of rape - for example, the fact that most women are raped by someone they know. With rape rarely dealt with at any length by broadcasters, The Verdict is a missed opportunity to show the facts on rape. The bleak truth about rape is that little support or justice exists for women in this country" .
Others have criticised the decision of the programme producers for including Jeffrey Archer, as he would not currently be able to sit in a jury in real life due to his criminal conviction for perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
(and as a peer, because juries are selected from amongst those on the Electoral Register, he would not be considered for selection irrespective of his perjury conviction), and Stan Collymore
Stan Collymore
Stanley Victor "Stan" Collymore is an English football pundit and former footballer, who played from 1990 until 2001. He held the British transfer record when he moved from Nottingham Forest to Liverpool for £8.5 million in 1995 and was capped three times at senior level by the England...
who was accused of violence by his former girlfriend Ulrika Jonsson
Ulrika Jonsson
Eva Ulrika Jonsson is a Swedish television presenter in the UK, who became famous as a TV-am weather presenter and moved on to present Gladiators and became a team captain of the show Shooting Stars.-Early life:...
, in the jury. The programme is also viewed as having selected women jurors who were dominated by the male jurors, and many felt they were simply going along with these men's views. Defenders of the programme claim that - far from trivialising rape - the programme brought the difficult and complex issues surrounding rape trials into the public consciousness, and highlighted the reasons why the conviction rate for rape cases in the UK remains so low .
The Jury
- Jeffrey Archer - author and former ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, imprisoned for perjuryPerjuryPerjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
in 2001 - Honor BlackmanHonor BlackmanHonor Blackman is an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in The Avengers and Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger .-Early life:...
- actress played Pussy Galore in GoldfingerGoldfinger (film)Goldfinger is the third spy film in the James Bond series and the third to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1964, it is based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The film also stars Honor Blackman as Bond girl Pussy Galore and Gert Fröbe as the title...
(1964) - Stan CollymoreStan CollymoreStanley Victor "Stan" Collymore is an English football pundit and former footballer, who played from 1990 until 2001. He held the British transfer record when he moved from Nottingham Forest to Liverpool for £8.5 million in 1995 and was capped three times at senior level by the England...
- former footballerFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball... - Jennifer EllisonJennifer EllisonJennifer Lesley Ellison is an English actress, glamour model, television personality, dancer and singer...
- actress, singer and model - Jacqueline GoldJacqueline GoldJacqueline Gold is a British business woman, and is currently Chief Executive of the Gold Group International companies Ann Summers and Knickerbox. She is the 16th richest woman in Britain.-Early life:...
- businesswoman, CEO of Ann SummersAnn SummersAnn Summers is a United Kingdom-based retailer specialising in sex toys and lingerie, with over 140 high street stores in the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and Spain. In 2000, Ann Summers acquired the Knickerbox brand, a label with an emphasis on more comfortable and feminine underwear, while... - Alex JamesAlex James (musician)Professionally known as Alex James is an English musician, songwriter, journalist and cheesemaker. He is best known as the bass player and occasional vocalist of band Blur...
- musician - MegamanSo Solid CrewSo Solid Crew is an electronic and urban musical collective from South London, England, whose hits include "Oh No " and "21 Seconds", the latter reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart in August 2001. Another hit, "They Don't Know", reached number three in November 2001 and "Haters" got to...
- musician (real name Dwayne Vincent) - Dominic McVeyDominic McVeyDominic McVey is a British entrepreneur from London who started business at the age of 13, importing micro-scooters from the United States into the United Kingdom....
- entrepreneur - Patsy PalmerPatsy PalmerPatsy Palmer is an English actress. Palmer made an early television appearance on the children's drama show Grange Hill, but is best known for playing Bianca Jackson in the popular British television soap opera EastEnders. Originally in the cast from 1993–1999, Palmer returned to EastEnders in...
- actress, best known as Bianca JacksonBianca JacksonBianca Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted to leave. In 2002 executive producer John Yorke brought the character...
in the BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEndersEastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End... - Sara Payne - News of the WorldNews of the WorldThe News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
campaigner for the introduction of Sarah's Law (similar to Megan's LawMegan's LawMegan's Law is an informal name for laws in the United States requiring law enforcement authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders. Individual states decide what information will be made available and how it should be disseminated...
in the US). Mother of murder victim Sarah Payne. - Michael PortilloMichael PortilloMichael Denzil Xavier Portillo is a British journalist, broadcaster, and former Conservative Party politician and Cabinet Minister...
- former Conservative MP and Secretary of State for DefenceSecretary of State for DefenceThe Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
. Chosen as foreman. - Ingrid TarrantIngrid TarrantIngrid Dupre Tarrant is an English broadcaster and former wife of Chris Tarrant. She was educated at St Margaret's School, Bushey and has presented such programmes as TV Mail, Wish You Were Here? and This Morning...
- journalist, former wife of broadcaster Chris TarrantChris TarrantChristopher John "Chris" Tarrant, OBE is an English radio and television broadcaster, now best known for hosting the first version of the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in the United Kingdom and later Ireland, as the two national versions of the show merged in 2002.Chris...
External links
- BBC puts celebrities in TV court — BBC newsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
article, 12 December 2006 - IMDb