TRIAL OF MEDEA “Georgian Princess acquitted of killing her own children and her husband’s mistress”
28 October 2024
Mark Heywood KC leading Kathryn Arnot Drummond acted for the defence on a pro bono basis, having been assigned by the charity “Classics For All”, founded in 2010, whose purpose is to encourage the learning of classical subjects in state schools.
In the Supreme Court on Thursday 24 October 2024, Medea, Princess of ancient Colchis on the eastern shores of the Black Sea (now Georgia), and wife of Jason of the Argo, the classical Greek hero who won the Golden Fleece, was tried for the killings of her own two sons and of Princess Glauke of Corinth. The case was heard by the Rt. Hon. Lord Lloyd-Jones, Justice of the Supreme Court, and a jury of classicists, lawyers and students. The trial was live streamed to an audience of several hundred.
The truly formidable case for the prosecution was based on the dramatic and eponymous play, written by Euripides in 431BC, and comprised eye witness accounts and detailed confession evidence, suggesting a wicked and vengeful motive and careful planning.
In focussed but broadly based submissions, the defence team had 25 minutes or so to deal with the poignant written accounts but also with the 2,500 years of subsequent affirmation of guilt and damning publicity. Mark Heywood KC attacked and disassembled the fundamentals of the prosecution case, as well as the reliability and credibility of the primary accuser, to show that the alleged unlawful killings did not happen. In 7 minute submissions described by Lord Lloyd-Jones as covering the whole of Classical Greek mythology, Kathryn Arnot Drummond gave individual voice to Medea herself from the ancient texts and masterfully demonstrated why the playwright had cast her as he did, given the treatment of women in Classical mythology.
In verdicts delivered immediately, without deliberation, the jury acquitted by a majority of 35-16 on all counts. Her Royal Highness, who attended the trial, was discharged by the Court. She expressed her deep gratitude to her counsel team and said that the long wait for justice had been worth it.
The trial and verdicts were reported in The Times, Saturday 26 October 2024 print and digital editions, and online: see https://www.thetimes.com/article/27ea6290-30e0-4085-a6a4-cdb36d964448?shareToken=109c779cb48bd2627b2930dd52fd8a31
The live-stream recording of the trial is here: https://www.youtube.com/live/WthbzjZb1Ec?si=jqIaOIohcdcX3DwT
The charity, in collaboration with the Supreme Court, assisted by Lord Justice Singh, has a held a series of such trials, the next of which is likely to take place in 2025: see https://classicsforall.org.uk/news-and-events/events/past-events
Extracts of counsel's submissions can be viewed here:
