10 Greatest Star Trek Courtroom Episodes

The quintessential courtroom episode, to date, in all of Star Trek, The Measure Of A Man was a huge step forward for The Next Generation in terms of quality, confidence, and scope. Data, having been referred to as a normal member of the crew for the first and second seasons is casually offered up for sacrifice, by Starfleet no less, for study and dissection.

The episode serves as a reminder that while the audience grows to care for a character, when they are removed from the familiar settings, their nature can 'other' them in the eyes of those unfamiliar. Admiral Nakumura's almost cold callous order to Picard to hand Data over to Maddox is one symptom of this. Maddox, to his credit, seems highly uncomfortable for the whole episode - convinced, initially, that he shouldn't be interacting with an android at all, then coming around to understanding the nature of this new life form.

Data's trial would have long ranging effects on the rest of the franchise, setting the stage for the discussions of holographic rights in Voyager, along with genetically engineered people in Deep Space Nine and Strange New Worlds. This is one of the reasons that Star Trek endures as it does - it shines a light on those aspects of our society that some would rather not see.

The 23rd, 24th, and 25th centuries may not be perfect, but they all offer the hope that we can get passed the petty squabbles of the 21st.