Ireland and Ulster rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding were acquitted in March 2018 following a high-profile trial in which they were accused of raping a woman in Belfast in 2016.

The trial polarised the public and led to Ireland-wide protests as well as government reviews, in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, of how sexual offence trials are conducted.

The upcoming TV drama is tentatively titled #IBelieveHer — which trended on social media following the end of the trial — and has a €9 million budget, according to Ireland’s Sunday Independent.

Promotional materials seen by the newspaper say the series “explores the entire spectrum of rape myth culture as we follow the complainant’s journey through the criminal justice system under the full glare of media attention attracted by the defendant’s [sic] sporting notoriety”.

However, one of the defence lawyers in the trial has raised concerns about the content of the programme.

Kevin Winters of KRW LAW, who acted for Mr Jackson, said: “Any drama based on a high-profile trial that is made collaboratively with all parties has to be welcomed.

“As long as the outworkings of any such production are consistent with the innocence of those accused, then we don’t have a problem. Indeed, we would really welcome that.

“There needs to be engagement with the complainant and witnesses as well. Given the huge sensitivities around this case, that should be taken as a given.

“However, I’m concerned we are off to a bad start as I’ve no information at all that anyone has been contacted about this. We will take steps now to address that information deficit.”