Hour of the Pig (UK)/The Advocate (1993)

"The case is a dog.
The defendant is a pig.
And the law is an ass..."

The film is set in 15th century France and is based upon the career and case files of Bartholomew Chassenee, an actual lawyer of the time that served as an advocate for animals who were accused of crimes. At the time, animal trials were used to determine if animals were the perpetrators of supernatural mayhem, and animals were subject to the same civil laws and penalties as human beings.

Richard Courtois (Firth) and his loyal clerk Mathieu (Carter) have left the decadence of Paris for what they believe will be a quiet life in the rural village of Ponthieu. Courtois quickly becomes involved in a number of back-logged cases, from murder to witchcraft. He takes on a case defending a pig that is accused of killing a young Jewish boy. The pig, however, belongs to a band of Gypsies passing through town who appeal to Courtois to save the pig, as it is their only source of food for the coming winter.

As Courtois delves deeper into the case, and becomes more involved with the beautiful gypsy Samira (Annabi), he discovers that there is more at work than a simple murder. His work is brought to the attention of Seigneur Jehan d'Auferre (Williamson), who has his own designs on Courtois. Soon Courtois finds that he is being used as a pawn in a highly complicated game of sociopolitical intrigue that extends beyond merely racism and corruption.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hour_of_the_Pig