Portrayal of the law on TV soaps should always be taken with a pinch of salt. However, a scene on BBC soap EastEnders proved too much for the Association of Lifetime Lawyers, which has complained to BBC bosses.
According to the letter, signed by more 250 experts, soap villain Nish Panesar recently had his solicitor visit him in hospital to draft and arrange for the signing of a will.
‘The scene disregarded essential legal requirements under the Wills Act 1837, which says that for a will to be valid, the testator (the person who makes and executes the will) must sign the document in the presence of two witnesses, who must also sign the will in the presence of the testator. The characters’ conversation suggested that the solicitor could simply “seal” the will to make it valid, which is a misrepresentation of the legal procedure,’ the letter says.
The association acknowledged that the purpose of EastEnders is to entertain, ‘but given the influence of such shows on public understanding, we believe it’s your responsibility to ensure that legal matters, especially those as significant as the making of a will, are accurately represented’.
EastEnders bosses were urged to issue a clarification or correction, ‘ensuring that the public is not left with a misunderstanding of how to create a valid will’.
With Nish taking the blame for a murder he didn’t commit, perhaps he could be killed off in prison and viewers see the consequences of his invalid will play out?
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