Prima Facie

Tessa comes from a working-class family and, through hard work, enters the law faculty at Cambridge; after graduating she becomes a criminal defense barrister rising in the English legal world. Her greatest skill is defending those accused of sexual assault: with sharp words, keen insight, and a grasp of jury psychology, she wields “reasonable doubt” as a weapon and wins acquittals for her clients time and again. She believes deeply in the legitimacy of this procedure and has used it as her capital for climbing ever higher. The turning point comes one night. After a date with a male colleague with whom she has an ambiguous relationship, she changes from a barrister defending others in court into a victim who must be proved. Facing rounds of questioning at the police station, the forensic examination, and the interview room, facing the details she is repeatedly asked to recount, she suddenly finds that the rules she once knew and prided herself on now fall back on her exactly as they were: blurred memory, hesitant reactions, and “unreasonable” post-incident behavior are all read as “not credible enough.” She must wait out a long procedure under the burden of proving that she did not consent. This book is adapted from the author's stage play of the same name, whose production starring Jodie Comer won an Olivier Award and a Tony Award. Beyond the one-woman-show framework, the novel adds Tessa's upbringing, family background, and fine psychological detail, laying out in full the 782 days from the incident to the final trial. The work does not offer a satisfying verdict of victory or defeat; instead it lays bare legal procedure, gender power, and the harsh demand for a “perfect victim,” asking whether the law protects the weak or is a tool in the hands of the strong.