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Slightly harsh Mr Balchin, but only slightly. Ms Chakrabarti started out with a somewhat (traditional) leftish background, and won awards for her pro bono legal contributions (fullish disclosure: I was a contender for one pro bono award she won). Alas, she seemed to prove she is gamekeeper material when she (a) found the Labour Party not to be anti-Semitic; and (b) shortly after publication of her report accepted a Labour nominated peerage. Since then, anti-Semitism has continued to haunt the Labour Party, and Ms Chakrabarti has been criticised (as a Labour peer) for educating her children privately (Dulwich College, alma mater of PG Wodehouse and Nigel Farage).

She may be an astute political player, but she isn't (so far as I can tell from her public profile) any kind of thoughtful lawyer.