Dominic Rowan, Georgia Taylor, Paul Nicholls, Ben Bailey Smith, Sharon Small, Peter Davison and Paterson Joseph joined the cast in later series.

In June 2014, broadcaster ITV and producer Kudos issued a joint press release announcing that series 8 would be "the last to be transmitted for the foreseeable future".

[3] In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police who investigate crime, and the Crown Prosecutors who prosecute the offenders.

[1] Law & Order: UK is based in London and duplicates the episode format of the original series but with appropriate modifications to more closely resemble the English legal system.

During the preliminary crime scene examination, the detectives make their first observations, form initial theories, and engage in witty banter before the title sequence begins.

Unlike many legal dramas (e.g. Kavanagh QC and Rumpole of the Bailey), the court proceedings are shown from the prosecution's point of view, with the regular characters trying to prove the defendant's guilt, not innocence.

This usually begins with the service of the motion to the CPS team, follows with argument and case citations of precedent before a judge in court, and concludes with visual reaction of the winning or losing attorney.

Some episodes revolve around moral and ethical debates, including the right to die (euthanasia), the right to life (abortion) and the right to bear arms (gun control).

Law & Order: UK was first imagined by franchise creator Dick Wolf in 2000; however, at the time, no network was willing to pick up a pilot for the series.

Wolf then asked Chibnall to look through the Law & Order Bible, a book released in the United States containing a collection of synopses for every episode.

Many of the familiar hallmarks of the original Law & Order series were carried through into the adaptation, including the styling of the opening music, black-and-white intertitles, using Wolf's signature "clanging cell door" sound, and hand-held camera work.

Due to other commitments, neither Harriet Walter nor Freema Agyeman returned, and they were replaced by Paterson Joseph and Georgia Taylor in the roles of Detective Inspector Wes Layton and Crown Prosecutor Kate Barker respectively.

On 3 June 2014, ITV confirmed that Bradley Walsh had declined a contract option to return for a ninth series, simultaneously the show was retired indefinitely.

[13] The first series of Law & Order: UK starred Bradley Walsh, Jamie Bamber and Harriet Walter, Ben Daniels, Freema Agyeman and Bill Paterson.

Series 5 introduced two major new cast members in Dominic Rowan as Crown Prosecutor Jacob Thorne and Peter Davison as Henry Sharpe, taking over from Ben Daniels and Bill Paterson respectively.

This featured two further cast changes with the introduction of Paterson Joseph as DI Wes Layton and Georgia Taylor as junior prosecutor Kate Barker, replacing Harriet Walter and Freema Agyeman, respectively.

The campus of University College London, including the main quadrangle and the cloisters, was used for the basis of filming for scenes aired in series six.

[8][failed verification] The original cast of Law & Order: UK consisted of Bradley Walsh as Sergeant Ronnie Brooks, Jamie Bamber as Sergeant Matt Devlin, and Harriet Walter as Inspector Natalie Chandler, Ben Daniels as Prosecutor James Steel, Freema Agyeman as Solicitor Alesha Phillips, and Bill Paterson as Director George Castle.

In the United Kingdom, Law & Order: UK is broadcast on ITV with repeats of the series airing on sister channel ITV3.

Jarossi specifically extolled the unexpected casting of Bradley Walsh, the excellent use of their London backdrop, and Chibnall's adaptation of the show.

[31] John Boland of the Irish Independent compared Law & Order: UK to the original, ultimately deciding that the former is just as engrossing as the latter, if its tone is slightly more jocular.

"[2] Variety magazine called the series a hit, quoting NBC Universal as saying, "Law & Order has won its slot every week and is actually increasing its ratings."

While Radio Times reviewer Alison Graham felt the series' execution was adequate, she criticised its pacing and writing; the former for not matching that of the original Law & Order programmes, and the latter for "falling headfirst into a typically British legal-drama trap of the noble prosecutor, crusading to bring the guilty to justice while pitted against the louche, self-serving defence barrister.

"[35] Whereas, on the other hand, The Guardian's Sarah Dempster didn't feel that using the original series' camera work and stylings was appropriate for British crime drama: "Fiddly.

[36] In Australia, Melinda Houston commented favourably in The Age on the show's opening series, opining that the fusion between British crime drama and the US Law & Order franchise is like "a match made in Heaven.

[38] Barrister Caroline Haughey, a self-confessed crime junkie, said that Law and Order: UK made her cry: the relationship between the officers and CPS was reasonably fair; however, the conduct of the Crown Prosecution Advocate in his talking directly to defendants and offering plea bargains was a step too far.