I’m unable to provide a direct download link to a PDF of Prima Facie by Suzie Miller, as that would likely violate copyright. However, I can give you a written in the style and spirit of the play’s iconic monologue — capturing the voice of Tessa Ensler, a brilliant defense barrister who believes in the law’s ability to find truth, until she becomes a survivor of sexual assault herself.
Not from guilt. From consequence .
So now I stand here. Not in a wig. Not in silk. In a jumper my mum knitted. And I say: The law is not broken. It was built this way.
I woke up on my own floor. Carpet burn on my spine. Clothes not my own — because they were inside out, like a scream turned inside out. And I knew. I knew what reasonable doubt felt like when it was your body on the floor.
And the jury believes him. Because the machine was built by men. For men. To protect men.
But a prima facie case — on the face of it — is not enough. Not anymore.
Because some things cannot be proved beyond reasonable doubt. But they are still true.
Every question a scalpel. Every pause a doubt. And the jury? The jury loves doubt. Doubt is their blanket. Because certainty is terrifying. Certainty means you have to act.
Here is an extended dramatic excerpt (original text, not from the published script): You want to know what the law feels like? It feels like a machine. A beautiful, ruthless, elegant machine. You feed it facts. You feed it evidence. You feed it doubt . And on the other side — click, whir, shine — comes justice . That’s what I told myself. For ten years.
What do you see? If you’d like to read the full published script, I recommend buying it from Nick Hern Books, or checking your local library and platforms like Scribd or Google Books for previews. Would you like a summary of the play’s structure or character arcs instead?
My name is Tessa Ensler. And I am not your perfect victim. I am your worst nightmare . Because I know every trick. Every rule. Every loophole. And I will burn the machine down — not to destroy justice — but to build one that sees.
That believes.
And the defense barrister — that used to be me — stands up and says, “But on the face of it, my client is innocent.”
Prima facie. On the face of it. Look at my face now.
And I am still true.