Corrie Fans Lose It Over Adam Barlow’s Courtroom “Blunder” — But Is the Show Actually Right?
Viewers spotted what they thought was a massive legal mistake. Turns out, they might be the ones who got it wrong.
Coronation Street dropped one of its tensest courtroom scenes in years — and fans immediately found something to argue about. Not the verdict. Not the testimony. Adam Barlow.
As Megan Walsh’s trial reached its peak, audiences were blindsided seeing Weatherfield’s resident solicitor standing up in court as her defence advocate. Social media erupted within minutes.
“Since when did Adam become a barrister?!” one viewer fired off. “He’s a solicitor — he can’t do this,” said another. The consensus was swift: the Corrie writers had slipped up, prioritising drama over legal accuracy.
Except they hadn’t.
ITV confirmed that Adam is acting as a solicitor advocate — a qualified solicitor with extended rights to represent clients in higher courts, including the Crown Court. This status has existed in England and Wales since the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 broke barristers’ historic courtroom monopoly. Corrie has used the same legal setup before with both Imran and Dee-Dee.
So the show’s actually correct. That hasn’t stopped fans from being annoyed about it.
And honestly? The annoyance makes sense — not because of the law, but because of the optics. Adam isn’t just Megan’s lawyer. He’s a familiar face on the street, drinks at the Rovers, and lives among the very people affected by this trial. The ethical awkwardness of a neighbour defending an accused predator in their own community adds a layer of discomfort that feels intentional — and it’s working.
The trial itself has been gripping. Megan Walsh, accused of grooming and psychologically abusing Will Driscoll, has shown zero remorse. Ben Driscoll has been put through the wringer on the stand, holding himself together while watching his son’s trauma be picked apart in cross-examination. Will’s testimony — complicated by his earlier attempts to cover for Megan — has kept the outcome genuinely unpredictable.
Behind the scenes, Megan’s mother Janine has been quietly working to influence Will’s perspective, adding another manipulative layer to an already loaded case.
The verdict will carry weight either way. A conviction means relief — and a reckoning about grooming and coercive control. An acquittal risks igniting Weatherfield all over again.
Whether Adam’s in the right or wrong seat is almost beside the point now. The street is watching, and no one’s looking away.
