Dramatising incompetence: raising public awareness over miscarriages of justice

Photo Courtesy: Danrok

The recent dramatisation of the Post Office scandal in Gwyneth Hughes’ ‘Mr. Bates vs The Post Office’ has ignited public awareness like never before. The scandal itself, involving the knowingly wrongful prosecution of over 700 postmasters based on flawed evidence, has been simmering for years, quietly fuelled through investigative work by journalists at Computer Weekly and the Private Eye, as well as the relentless campaigning of Alan Bates and others. Yet, it was the striking drama that set the scandal ablaze, transforming these smouldering embers into a firestorm of public outrage and empathy. 

The power of drama lies in its unique ability to distil complex issues into emotionally engaging narratives. This is not a new phenomenon. From Sophocles’ ‘Antigone’, which challenged the norms of ancient Greek society and influenced countless others, to the groundbreaking ‘Cathy Come Home’ in 1966, which prompted the founding of charities such as Crisis and Shelter, drama has long been a catalyst for social and political change. 

Through transforming abstract injustices into tangible human stories, dramas foster empathy and understanding in ways that reports and statistics cannot. ‘Mr. Bates vs The Post Office’ continued this tradition, with the empathy and outrage shared by 9.2 million people thrusting an overlooked scandal into the national spotlight, and the convictions being quashed almost instantly. 

Albeit remarkable, this instance of a television drama leading to swift justice raises a pertinent question: what about the other gross miscarriages of justice that remain dormant? Perhaps the 75% of Windrush scandal victims that have found their disproportionate compensation packages tangled in a web of red tape and ministerial inertia would finally see the action they deserve through a similar dramatisation. 

What about a drama that documents not only the negligence leading up to the Grenfell Tower disaster but also the continued negligence thereafter? With over half of the residential blocks constructed by the company responsible for its cladding still plagued by critical safety issues, it would highlight the persistent disregard and apathy of those in power.

These tragedies, while once having briefly captured the public’s attention, have faded from the headlines, and with them, the urgency for resolution. The perpetual fading of public memory plays into the hands of politicians and decision-makers, who rely on the transient nature of news cycles to avoid sustained scrutiny and action. This is particularly convenient for controversies within Westminster, where a dramatisation of the dubious handling of coronavirus-related contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic would highlight the alarming facts of the situation. 

Television directors would form long queues to depict stories like that of Global Access Diagnostics, which was awarded contracts worth £1.15 billion, having previously made personal donations to Boris Johnson’s brother. A hard-hitting exposé through a television narrative, similar to Partygate, could unflinchingly lay bare the stark realities of cronyism and governmental missteps, serving as a biting critique in a time when the UK population urgently needed honest, competent governance.

The success of 'Mr. Bates vs The Post Office' underscores the power of television dramas to serve as potent catalysts for justice and change. However, the necessity of a TV drama to bring about justice highlights a troubling reality. Transparency and accountability should be fundamental, with actions taken proactively because they are right, not reactively in response to public pressure or the impending threat of an election. Yet, what often unfolds is a performance of justice, more about appeasing public sentiment than delivering true fairness. In an ideal world, justice would be proactive, unwavering, and genuine - not a storyline needing dramatisation to be recognised and addressed. One can dream.