Janet King is a fictional character from the Australian ABC1 legal dramas Crownies and Janet Master, played by Marta Dusseldorp. Janet will be characterised as a "tough and tenacious" Senior Crown Prosecutor who has worked in the DPP office for ten years. The actress has stated that she made deliberate changes to ensure Janet listened to others more often. When Crownies finished airing plans were made to create a spin-off show centric to the character. Janet King was produced in 2013 with Dusseldorp returning to the title role. The character is in a same-sex relationship and has children via IVF. She also visited the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery and shadowed Margaret Cunneen SC, a Elderly Overhead Prosecutor and type for the persona Janet Full. She debuted on-screen in the first episode of Crownies broadcast on 14 July 2011. To prepare, free lesbian Dusseldorp researched legal cases and observed prosecutors in court.

The character has been well received by critics. Guy Davis from The Newcastle Herald named her a role model for junior solicitors. While ABC1 Controller Brendan Dahill provides publicised his admiration of Dusseldorp's portrayal. In 2014, Dusseldorp won the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama for her portrayal of Janet. Glen Humphries of the Illawarra Mercury opined that Janet was a "standout figure" and Debi Enker labeled her one of Crownies "better" characters. Crikey's Ben Neutze said Janet was the viewers’ favourite.

DevelopmentCreation and castingThe character was conceived by associate producer Hilary Bonney and co-producer Jane Allen. [5] Janet is also gay, like Allen. [2] Bonney explained that Janet developed from their "combined experiences", as she will be a barrister and Allen will be a legal lawyer or attorney and author. [4] Dusseldorp spent eight months filming the role for Crownies. [3] The following month, Les Kennedy of The Sun-Herald revealed that she had been cast as the drama's senior free lesbian Crown prosecutor. Bonney wrote, "she is a bit of both of us, and of all the women we know and admire who work in criminal law."[2] On 24 January 2011, Greg Hassall from The Sydney Morning Herald announced Dusseldorp's involvement in the show.

Preparation"Watching her take on this vitally important role in society, and carry out a employment that will be therefore mentally wrenching, helped me build a character that I hoped did crown prosecutors justice."[6]

In preparation for the role Dusseldorp researched numerous legal cases and observed prosecutors behaviour before judges in district courts. She shadowed a Elderly Overhead Prosecutor furthermore, Margaret Cunneen SC. [9] Dusseldorp explained to a reporter from Lawyers Weekly that she found it challenging when she realised "how atrocious" most cases are. She inspected the New Sth Wales Director of People Prosecutions workplace in addition. Dusseldorp found the experience "humbling" and became "addicted" to the serious nature surrounding cases.