New Street Law – second series coming soon to ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One
John Hannah plays Jack Roper
Do you think that viewers find New Street Law makes the law more accessible?
Ìý
I think you learn how a case is put together and how the chambers work; it's probably quite informative about that particular aspect of the legal sector.
Ìý
Hopefully, people will understand a little more about the job that barristers do.
Ìý
Many people find it difficult to separate defence and prosecution barristers but this programme shows how they work together in an idealistic world to tell the truth as it appears from everyone's point of view – and out of those arguments and debates, a jury then has to make a decision on what they hear.
Ìý
Hopefully, this just opens up the legal system to viewers and, if they understand one additional thing about the legal system, then that's great – although it's not a documentary, it's just a drama!
Ìý
Can you tell us about Jack and how he fits into the defence team? Do you think Jack is good role model?
Ìý
Jack is very driven – a lot of the energy comes from him. Jack's team were chosen by him and they are like-minded people, they're always pulling in the same direction.
Ìý
He's spontaneous, which I think gives him the dynamic to get the chambers motivated. He takes on a collective responsibility to be a role model – but without being egotistical about it.
Ìý
In a way, he is like the planet that they orbit.
Ìý
He's very instinctive; he knows when he is bending the rules but he's doing it for the right reasons and to achieve the best outcome.
Ìý
How do you think Jack feels about the lengths that he goes to in Episode 5 to defend Al, when he finds himself on the wrong side of the law?
Ìý
Essentially, he goes out on a limb, because he knows the police officer in charge of Al's investigation is not as principled as he should be. I think he's often fighting against the injustice of the system.
Ìý
For all that we can be proud about the legal system, there are still malpractices and injustices, Al is a friend and Jack is motivated from a righteous point of view and doesn't feel bad about it – he just took some short cuts to get the ethical results.
Ìý
Ultimately, Jack is very principled and he is driven by those principles; everything he does is with a sense of justice.
Ìý
Sometimes, when laws are wrong, it takes civil disobedience for those laws to change. When there's corruption in other parts of the judicial system, you can be sure that Jack is fighting against it.
Ìý
You describe Jack as quite a maverick barrister who isn't afraid to bend traditional methods to get results – do you think that, one day, he will pay for this?
Ìý
I think we all pay for what we are all the time. The things that drive Jack, the good aspects of him, result in him suffering in other elements of his life – in terms of stability, relationships and career – but how he is, certainly impacts on him all of the time.
Ìý
In the opening episode, he relies a lot on the goodwill in the profession but, at some point in the future, that goodwill won't be there, which will be partly to do with how he is. We're always having karmic payback, even if we don't see it at the time.
Ìý
After a brief fling with Laura, Jack seems scared to open up – do you think he is too emotionally scarred to allow another woman into his life?
Ìý
I think he's so motivated by work that he realises a relationship just isn't right for him at this time. It's very difficult to sustain a relationship when you're focused and driven by a career, you just don't have time for it.
Ìý
Maybe in the future he might miss that element in his life and actively pursue a relationship.
Ìý
There are some particularly hard-hitting storylines in this series – the father accused of abusing his daughter in Episode 3, for example. Did you relish the strength of the storylines?
Ìý
What's good about these storylines is that there are no out-and-out villains. Particular cases we've filmed are not all black and white – in the child abuse case in particular, you can see that it had impacted on all individuals involved in such a negative way.
Ìý
I think it's good that a show like this is still being brave enough to say that not everyone is all bad and not everyone is all good – Jack certainly isn't. The defendants haven't all been bad – certainly bad things have happened, but that doesn't necessarily make them bad people per se.
Ìý
Which New Street Law barrister would you like to defend you if you were to ever find yourself in front of a judge?
Ìý
Jack – I like Laurence very much, but Jack's someone you can believe in. I'd feel I had no connection with someone like Laurence.
Ìý
Jack’s been through the system and is motivated from a perspective you can understand – he's motivated by justice, not money.
Ìý
I think people can relate to Jack – he's just like them – he could understand their situation and have empathy with them.
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