Murder gets a bad rap

Murder, according to Sir John Mortimer QC of Rumpole fame, gets a bad press.

He entertained the Institute of Legal Executives' president's lunch last week by explaining how 'it's the sort of crime that perfectly reasonable people can slide into'.

And it also goes to explain why SIr John did not follow his father into practice as a divorce lawyer.

'Divorcees are constantly complaining,' he said, 'whereas murderers are agreeable clients - they find it harder to get to the telephone.

Most of them have murdered the one person who was bugging them most, and as a result they have a certain peace about them.'