Acclaimed writer Peter Moffat’s compelling new five-part thriller, Criminal Justice, made by BBC Drama Production for BBC One, will hit the screen this summer.

Rising star Ben Whishaw (Perfume, I’m Not There) heads an impressive British ensemble cast which includes Pete Postlethwaite (In The Name Of The Father, Brassed Off), David Harewood (Blood Diamond, The Vice), Bill Paterson (Sea Of Souls), Con O’Neil (Learners) and Lindsay Duncan (Longford, Perfect Strangers).

One mad night and Ben Coulter’s life is changed forever…

As he gets ready to go out on the town, the 21-year-old looks in the mirror. It will be the last time he’s able to recognise the person who looks back.

Little does Ben know that a wild encounter with a sexy young woman will tear his life apart.

Ben’s ordeal begins when he wakes up to find her stabbed to death in her bed. And, what’s worse, he can’t remember what happened the night before.

What follows is a rollercoaster ride through the criminal justice system, where the truth is optional and what counts is playing the game, in order to come out on top.

No-one wants to hear Ben’s side of the story.

A complex game of cat and mouse begins as soon as he is arrested, played out by his world-weary solicitor Stone (Con O’Neil) and the pugnacious DCI Box (Bill Paterson).

Ben’s shocked parents don’t know where to turn and deep down there is a terrifying doubt: could their son really be a murderer?

Ben’s world becomes a labyrinth of oppressive places: police station, prison and courtroom.

As Ben steps off the prison bus he has to learn to survive alongside cellmates and hardcore career criminals Hooch (Pete Postlethwaite) and Freddie Graham (David Harewood).

Lost in this alien world Ben has little sense of where things start or finish, and who is in charge.

Kate Harwood, Head of Series & Serials, BBC Drama, says: “This is not a prison, legal or police drama.

“Peter Moffat has created something beyond these labels. He has delivered an exceptional and audacious piece of writing – full of colour, texture and humour.

“I’m thrilled to announce that Ben Whishaw will star in the lead role as the isolated Ben Coulter, alongside an outstanding ensemble cast.

“This is a combative, insightful, and sophisticated look at the criminal justice system.”