Dear oh dear oh dear - the popular sport of lawyer-bashing has even reached the elevated heights of the House of Lords. In a recent debate on the vexed issue of criminal legal aid, Lord McKenzie of Framwellgate - former chief superintendent of police in Durham - rose to put a question to the Lord Chancellor. 'My Lords, is my noble and learned friend aware of the case that I read about recently in which there were three main suspects for a crime: a rich lawyer, a poor lawyer and a tooth fairy?' he asked. 'Needless to say, the rich lawyer was arrested because the other two were figments of the imagination.' Boom and thrice boom. Luckily Lord Falconer was on hand to rap Lord Mackenzie's knuckles. 'My Lords, it does the House no credit to do anti-lawyer jokes,' he said. According to Lord Mackenzie's Web site, www.lordmackenzie.com, the ex-copper 'has spoken on numerous occasions at events as diverse as cricket and rugby dinners, society ladies' luncheons, accountants and lawyers' dinners and has even risked speaking to the Women's Institute!' Apparently he is 'a born extrovert who really knows how to work an audience. He adapts his amusing anecdotes to suit the event at hand. He speaks with conviction (not criminal!) on subjects ranging from sports and business to politics and law enforcement throughout the world. It'd be a crime not to book him for your next event'. As Father Christmas might put it, ho ho and, er, ho again.