Defence of the Realm

John Deed har haft en affære med en sagsøger, og hans fjender i advokatstanden ser en ny chance for at få skovlen under ham. Samtidig bliver Jo konstitueret som dommer i en sag om underslæb. Det er en sag, der har tråde helt op i regeringen. Da Jo bliver udsat for grove trusler, må Deed forsøge at hjælpe hende.

Deed's fling with a woman claimant in his court gets him into hot water. His brother judges are appalled, and Deed finds himself exiled to Warwick.Meanwhile, Jo is sitting as a judge in a trial in which a company secretary is accused of stealing more than four million pounds from the arms king Sir Tim Listfield. Allegations are made during the trial about senior politician Neil Haughton, the close friend of Deed's former wife Georgina - Haughton is said to have taken bribes to over-pay on government defence work. Jo is threatened, and Deed comes home to help her.