Short sharp frock

The idea of community sentences is slowly gaining ground in the UK, but as ever, we are way behind the US.

The American Bar Association's journal reports this month on Judge David Hostetler, an Ohio judge known for his creative sentencing.

Judge Hostetler once sentenced some young, egg-throwing vandals to write 1,000 times 'I will not throw eggs' and donate eggs to a local charity.

More recently, he was faced by two men who had thrown beer bottles and disparaging comments at a woman in a car.

He gave the pair a choice: 60 days in jail or - because of their uncivil behaviour towards a woman - dressing up in drag, including make-up and wigs, and walking along the town's Main Street for an hour.

Not surprisingly, they went for the latter, although apparently a large crowd gathered to view the spectacle and give them a taste of their own medicine.

Could the idea be applied here? Sure.

Jeffrey Archer could be forced to read his own books, Jonathan Aitken could have been made to polish swords, that sort of thing.