加罗律师第三季The Guardian: Garrow's travesty n Thomas Erskine: the real hero分集剧情
Garrow'stravestyTheGuardian,Tuesday15November201121.00GMTThefirstinstalmentofthenewseriesofGarrow'sLaw(Theweekend'sTV,G2,14November)showedWilliamGarrow,habitualadvocatefortheunderdog,defendingthemadmanHadfield,accusedofhightreasonforshootingatKingGeorgeIII.Itwasatravesty.TheheroicdefenderwhosecuredHadfield'sacquittalwasnotGarrow,butThomasErskine.Garrowwasindeedinvolved:butasjuniorcounselforthecrown.SohisrolewaspreciselytheoppositeoftheonetheBBCassignedtohim.Histaskwastocross-examinethedefencewitnesses,tomakethemsaythatHadfield,contrarytoallappearances,wasreallysane.By1800Garrow'stalentshadbeennoticedbythegovernment.Heregularlyappearedforthecrown–aroutewhichledhimtopreferment,firstasattorneygeneralandeventuallytothebench.TheBBC'scharteranditsproducers'guidelinessayallprogrammesshouldbe"fairandshowarespectfortruth".TheproducersofGarrow'sLawshouldlookatit.ProfessorJRSpencerQCUniversityofCambridgehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/nov/15/garrow-law-travesty-bbc?newsfeed=trueThomasErskine:therealheroTheGuardian,Wednesday16November201121.00GMTThetravestyofhistorythatisGarrow'sLawgoesmuchfurtherthanProfessorSpencerpointsout(Letters,16December).InthefirstseriesGarrowwasshownheroicallydefendingaworking-classcampaignerforuniversalmanhoodsuffrage.AsinthecaseofJamesHadfield,theroleattributedtoGarrowwasbasedonthatofthegreatliberaladvocateThomasErskine.Throughoutthe1790s,whenthegovernmentofWilliamPittwasbendingthelawofhightreasontoprosecutecampaignersforparliamentaryreform,Garrowrepeatedlyappearedfortheprosecutionandneverforthedefence,whileErskinewasgainingacquittalsbyexposingthechargesasbasedonbadlawandtaintedevidence.OnereasonwhythismattersisthatErskinereallywasagreatdefenderofcivilliberty.Ifwevaluedourfreedomsmore,hewouldbeknownasoneofthegreatestofnationalheroes.Thisserieshasnotonlystolenhisachievementsandgiventhemtoamanwhowas,intruth,anastypieceofwork,buthaspresumablymadeitimpossiblefortelevisiontomakeaprogrammecelebratingErskineashedeserves.TheBBCshouldbeashamed.ProfessorJohnBarrellCentreforeighteenthcenturystudies,UniversityofYork•Hadfield'sacquittalisofgreatsignificanceforthewayinwhichinsanitypleasaretreatedbythelaw.RoyPorter'sclassictext,Mind-Forg'dManacles,givesasuccinctaccountoftheaffair.DrValeriePedlarSouthport,Merseysidehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/nov/16/thomas-erskine-the-real-hero
