John Thaw (Inspector Morse, Goodnight Mr Tom) is Kavanagh Q.C, one of the most respected criminal advocates in London. From a northern working-class background, James Kavanagh has climbed to the top of an elite profession through hard work and a love of the law.

Series 4
Memento Mori, Care in the Community, Briefs Trooping Gaily, Bearing Witness, Innocency of Life, Dead Reckoning.

Memento Mori - Kavanagh is back at chambers after the death of his wife, defending Doctor Felix Crawley who has been accused of killing his wife.

Care in the Community - Kavanagh defends a young man who with his partner is accused of murdering their baby daughter. Kavanagh's tactics have to change however when he discovers the couple are telling different stories.

Briefs Trooping Gaily - Kavanagh defends a young woman accused of killing her dentist husband who insists from the start that she is guilty because, after repeated violence from him, she finally could take no more.

Bearing Witness - Kavanagh represents a Jehovah's Witness when a hospital wants her young son to have a blood transfusion. The hospital wins, but when the boy dies, his father brings an action for manslaughter against his wife and Kavanagh is called as a witness.

Innocency of Life - Kavanagh represents a vicar who has been accused of sexual harassment by a widowed parishioner but the woman withdraws her case. Later Kavanagh discovers she has become engaged to the vicar and then defends her against charges of murdering her husband.

Dead Reckoning - Kavanagh travels to Yorkshire to prosecute a trawler owner after a boat sinks with the loss of five young lives. He has to counter the owner's defence that a Royal Navy submarine surfaced near the trawler and unbalanced her.