A young man with committed left wing views, manipulated by his beautiful girlfriend, is accused of murdering a neo-Nazi and Kavanagh faces one of his most challenging defences. Assigned to appear on behalf of a naval Lieutenant accused of arson, Kavanagh is caught in a veb of divided loyalties. Forced to confront the passionate anger of th establishment when he represents a youth whose life has been ruined by an industrial 'accident', Kavanagh is determined that his client, unable to defend himself, will not always be a victim.
Meanwhile the stresses are also mounting at home. Kavanagh's wife has resigned her glamorous job in Strasbourg to try and re-unite a livided family. With their daughter in emotional turmoil she resents seeing so little of her husband. And for the first time, perhaps, Kavanagh has reason to feel guilty...