Obiter recently attended the leaving bash of John Wadham, the ubiquitous former head of the human rights group, Liberty, at which a horde of the great and the notorious thronged to pay homage to the doyen of the undertrodden.

Among the former, Mr Justice Moses, aka the judge who in 2001 'did' for former MI5 agent David Shayler.

Mr Shayler, who was represented by Liberty, was also present.

When the irony of their co-appearance was pointed out to the assembled crowd by Mr Wadham in a highly entertaining leaving speech, a jovial voice was heard from Mr Justice Moses' direction saying: 'thank God he hasn't seen me yet'.