Emma Thompson credited as playing...
Gareth Peirce
- Gareth Peirce: It's not the stairs that are killing your father.
- Gerry Conlon: Aye, what is it then?
- Gareth Peirce: It's your lack of faith.
- Gerry Conlon: Lack of faith? Faith in what?
- Gareth Peirce: In yourself.
- Gerry Conlon: No. I have faith in myself. Gerry Conlon. Lifer. 30-year sentence. And I know how to survive it, no problem.
- Gareth Peirce: At what price?
- Gerry Conlon: I'll pay the fuckin' price, don't you worry about it.
- Gareth Peirce: The price for what?
- Gerry Conlon: Aye. You're very good at the English, aren't you? You see, I don't understand your language. "Justice." "Mercy." "Clemency." I literally don't understand what those words mean. I'd like to put in an application to get all my teeth extracted. That way I could put my fist in my mouth and never speak another word of fuckin' English so long as I live. Do you see what I'm saying... Mrs. Peirce is it?
- Gareth Peirce: Are you trying to impress me?
- [after hearing of his father's death]
- Gareth Peirce: [With tears in her eyes] Well, I think they ought to take the word 'compassion' out of the English dictionary.
- Gareth Peirce: You got 15 years of blood and sweat and pain from my client - whose only crime was that he was bloody well Irish. And he was foolish, and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time!
- Gareth Peirce: We'll get them in court.
- Gerry Conlon: "We'll get them in court"? For fuck's sake, will you catch yourself? They've kept us in prison for 15 years. They can keep us in for another 15. This is the fucking government, Gareth! It's the fucking government! What are they gonna say? "We're sorry about that? Made a wee bit of a mistake, but you can be on your way now." What are they gonna say? "Sorry we killed your Dad. Sorry we fucked your fucking life to hell." What are they gonna say?
- Gareth Peirce: [testifying in court] My lord, this alibi for Gerry Conlon was taken by Mr Dixon one month after Gerry Conlon was arrested. This note was attached to it when I found it in police files. It reads, 'not to be shown to the defence'.
- [crowd murmurs]
- Gareth Peirce: I have one question to ask you, Mr Dixon. Why was the alibi for Gerry Conlon, who was charged with the murder of five innocent people, kept from the defence?