Diplomatic Baggage

Diplomatic Baggage begins with the death of a journalist. Lisa Aeurbach has been killed, and the person charged with murder is Natasha Jackson, the daughter of the UK's ambassador-designate to Austria. Lena Headey plays Natasha, Michael Feast her father Sir Alan Jackson and Tamsin Hollo the dead woman.

Natasha's defence is simple. She says that when she arrived for an interview the woman was already dead. Kavanagh defends her. The case takes an interesting turn, in Wikipedia's words, when a mysterious government official approaches him. The man's only concern is to keep the ambassador-designate as far away from scandal as possible.

TVDB frames the story as Kavanagh discovering how dark the corridors of power can be. A barrister who is used to opposing the Crown's case finds that the pressure on his client's side comes from the same government that is prosecuting her. The official wants the matter handled for reasons that have little to do with whether Natasha is guilty.

At home, Matt Kavanagh decides to move out on his own. Wikipedia says that his parents are surprised to learn that he is sharing a flat with two attractive young women. TVDB says he moves into a squat, which is a different picture. Either way, the son of a QC leaves the family house. Tom Brodie plays Matt.

In chambers, Peter Foxcott, the head of chambers played by Oliver Ford Davies, takes an interest in an old friend he has not seen for many years.

Douglas Watkinson wrote the film, and Ken Grieve directed. The cast includes Ann Firbank as Margaret Jackson, Paul Brooke as Richard Dynevor, Julian Curry as Michael Faraday QC, Jonathan Barlow as Detective Inspector Benyon and Gerard Crossan as Sergeant Cobbold.

Sacha Craise appears as Harry and Antony Carrick as an appeal court judge. The film was shown on Monday 24 March 1997, the fourth of the third series' six films. Central Television made it for ITV. IMDb voters give it 7.7 out of 10.

Wikipedia says Kavanagh will not stand for injustice and is never bullied by threats or bribes from those he is up against in the courtroom, which is the quality tested when an official comes to him with his own interests at heart. The Classic Film and TV Café reviewer, writing about the series in 2019, praised the above-average writing and said there were several first-rate episodes. Wikipedia, for its part, describes the series' cases as often carrying a subtext of racism, sexism or other prejudice.

The summaries do not say how Natasha's case is decided, or who killed the journalist, so the account leaves the matter open.