No kowtowing to the Home Office

The pace of change in the field of constitutional affairs is currently supersonic.

Invitations to last week's reception for this year's batch of Chinese lawyers on a Law Society/Bar Council jointly sponsored exchange scheme proudly declared that the Rt Hon Lord Irvine of Lairg, the Lord Chancellor, would be in attendance.

Of course, Derry Irvine is now spending more time with his art collection.

And Charles Falconer was unfortunately too busy designing a supreme court and a judicial appointments commission, scrutinising the QC selection process and generally doing away with the post of Lord Chancellor itself, to attend - although he did send his regrets and best wishes to the Chinese.

He also sent a senior civil servant from what is now the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

In the best traditions of lobby reporting, we shall not reveal the name.

Suffice to say that this person is potentially the most committed reformer going in Whitehall.

'The Home Office hates me when I say this,' the mandarin told the bemused Chinese lawyers, 'but I very much see my department as being a ministry of justice'.

Alert the Whitehall stationery department: more changes are on the way.