In defence of confused codgers

The Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, is a lofty figure who rarely deigns to walk among the common people (especially journalists, considered particularly common).

And so the chance to quiz him about his recent press coverage in relation to burglary - 'Drop the dud donkey' and all that from The Sun - is unlikely to come around.

However, members of the House of Lords have slightly more access, and it was surely with a spirit of mischief rather than investigation that Lord Patten last week asked: 'Who is the "senior government figure" quoted on page one of The Sunday Times, 12 January, who identified the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice as "muddled and confused old codgers" in the matter of penal policy?' At least Lord Irvine was able to reply in writing, but one can sense the frost in it: 'I have no information on the source of remarks allegedly made to The Sunday Times.' And if he ever has any information, Obiter suspects his views on penal policy will harden considerably.