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BBC TV series with Glasgow lawyer Aamer Anwar returns

BBC TV series with Glasgow lawyer Aamer Anwar returns

Glasgow Times10-06-2025
The Firm, featuring lawyer and campaigner Aamer Anwar, will be back for a new series on BBC Scotland from Tuesday, June 17 at 9pm, with all episodes made available on BBC iPlayer on the same day.
Aamer will take viewers behind the scenes to show how he and his team tackle some of the country's most pressing social issues.
Read more: Judge appointed to lead inquiry into investigation of Emma Caldwell's murder
The three-part series will focus on individuals whose cases raise significant societal concerns, with the aim of not just helping these victims, but also driving systemic change.
The detailed access provided by the show promises to shed light on the challenges of taking on the law, scrutinising institutions, and striving for change within Scotland's legal industry.
Its first episode will see Aamer working with Margaret Caldwell, the mother of murdered Glasgow woman Emma Caldwell, as they seek a public inquiry into the police's handling of her daughter's murder.
Emma was killed in 2005, and in 2024, Iain Packer was sentenced to life in prison for the murder.
During the trial, it emerged that Packer had been accused of rape and violent attacks against dozens of women since 1990, but the police had failed to act.
The second episode will focus on Aamer's campaign to abolish crown immunity laws that prevent institutions like the Scottish Prison Service from being held criminally responsible for deaths in custody.
Working with the families of Katie Allan and William Lindsay, who both died by suicide at a young offenders' institution, Aamer seeks to drive a legal change that could deliver a measure of justice and potentially save lives in the future.
The final episode will shed light on the work of The Firm's immigration team, focusing on several asylum cases, including that of a Namibian woman who came to Scotland seeking refuge due to her sexuality and the domestic violence she faced in her home country.
Read more: Emma Caldwell's family to meet John Swinney after public inquiry announcement
Throughout the series, viewers will get an unfiltered view of the tactical manoeuvres, setbacks, controversies, and battles involved in long legal proceedings, while also gaining insight into the personal motivations of Aamer and his team.
The series, narrated by Gail Porter and produced by STV Studios Factual, is a sequel to The Firm, which aired on BBC Scotland in 2023 and is available on BBC iPlayer.
Aamer said: "This series will show you the families we are honoured to work with, who inspire us, who symbolise what justice should be about.
"Not a gentleman's club, not the vanity of wigs and gowns, but ordinary people who demand justice as a right and not a privilege.
"No lawyer should ever be afraid to raise their voice for the truth and I hope The Firm shows that is exactly what we fight to do."
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