Justice: Duty of Care (ITV 31 May 1974, with Geoffrey Keen)

Harriet and Ian’s worlds come together in Duty of Care when Ian’s practice gets caught up in a legal case involving the death of a woman. The woman had died of kidney failure brought on by the use of the medication she was taking. Initially her husband, Alan Cartwright, believes she had been prescribed the medication by Moody’s practice but it later emerges that she had been buying the tablets from a local chemist. Harriet does battle with renowned QC Sir Charles Houghton-Lockyer (played in fine style by Brewster Mason)

Harriet thinks the husband has a good chance of taking on the pharmaceutical company who make the tablets and is willing to represent him in court. However she finds herself up against one of the best QC’s in the business Sir Charles Houghton-Lockyer.

Meanwhile Ian’s partners are threatening to remove him from the practice (despite the fact that he is senior partner and started the practice) because of the amount of time he spends away from it and the fact that he takes a larger share of the profits. This has been brewing for a while now and ends up being the catalyst for selling up in Derbyshire, buying a Harley Street practice and making the decision to be in London full time. Philip Bond as Dr Daniel Richards, keen to see Ian removed from the practice. 

Philip Bond, who had been appearing in John Batt’s series The Main Chance has a key role here as Dr Daniel Richards, one of Ian’s partners from the practice.

Harriet and Ian are the only regulars to appear in this episode.

production details
UK / ITV – Yorkshire / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Friday 31 May 1974 at 9.00pm

Writer: John Batt / Production Design: Mary Rea / Director: Mark Cullingham

Series: Justice Season 3 Episode 3

cast
Margaret Lockwood as Harriet Peterson
John Stone as Dr Ian Moody
Geoffrey Keen as George Maxwell
Jim Norton as Alan Cartwright
Pat Keen as Mrs Eileen Donner
Philip Bond as Dr Daniel Richards
Susan Travers as Lavinia Maxell
Leonard Fenton as Sidney Ryman
David Allister as Justin Brockley
Brewster Mason as Sir Charles Houghton-Lockyer
Alan Foss as High Court Judge
James Lynch as Clerk of the court
Newton Bedale as Professor Seaton-Cranley
Leonie Murray as Shop Assistant
Bridget Sutcliffe as Kim
David Marriott as Christopher