[1] The pilot episode, Trial By Fire, stars Juliet Stevenson as the title character, with Jim Carter co-starring as Chief Superintendent Geoffrey Bailey.

[2] In 2001, following the success of the pilot, a series of three episodes was commissioned, titled The Helen West Casebook.

The series was distributed internationally by Acorn Media, and was released on DVD in the United States on 18 August 2009.

[5] The series features on the work of Crown Prosecutor Helen West (played by Juliet Stevenson in Trial By Fire and Amanda Burton in The Helen West Casebook), who tries to achieve balance in a life that consists of an emotionally heavy caseload and a stressful relationship with her supervising police officer, Geoffrey Bailey (played by Jim Carter in Trial By Fire and Conor Mullen in The Helen West Casebook).

West is a very hot-headed and driven woman who tends to pursue justice in each case, even when she is told by her bosses to drop them.