Obiter’s attendance at last week’s Law Society Council meeting was greatly enhanced by the valedictory speech of former president and council member for the City of London, Fiona Woolf. After serving on the body for 21 years, she is now stepping down and gave what she called her ‘deathbed confessions’ to her colleagues.

Woolf revealed she had inadvertently voted the wrong way while not paying attention – and having done so while president. She also ‘fessed up to turning up to council slightly the worse for alcohol and tripping over the stairs, using council meetings to correct drafts for her day job, and playing with her BlackBerry.

Other infractions included snaffling chocolate truffles and peppermint teabags from the Law Society, not always really looking at the figures in the business plans prepared by the chief executive, and deleting the odd council email without reading it.

Woolf’s most serious misdemeanour, however, must surely have been fraternising with the enemy and pecking Charlie Falconer on the cheek when he was Justice Secretary – two days after he reneged on a deal over the Legal Services Act.

On a more altruistic note, she said her failure to claim any expenses during her first 18 years on council had contributed to keeping the practising certificate fee down.

But this may not be the last that Council will see of its erstwhile colleague. Wishing members well for the future, she promised to come back and haunt them from the grave – presumably if her stash of chocolate and teabags runs low.