Rap on the knuckles for Cherie from top judge



Cherie Blair has suffered the humiliation of a secret dressing down from a top judge after sparing a Muslim criminal from jail because he was 'religious', it emerged last night.



The revelation has given rise to accusations of a cover-up by the Office for Judicial Complaints - because it originally issued a statement claiming Mrs Blair had been cleared of wrongdoing while sitting as a judge.



The secret tribunal claimed last week that an investigation found her decision to give a lenient punishment to Shamso Miah did not amount to misconduct.

Humiliation: Mrs Blair will receive 'informal advice from a senior judge'

However, yesterday it emerged that a complaint by the National Secular Society that religious belief should not earn a convict a lighter sentence had actually been 'partially substantiated' and Mrs Blair will receive 'informal advice'.

The former prime minister's wife was sitting as a part-time judge at Inner London Crown Court in January when she gave Miah, 25, a suspended six-month jail sentence after he pleaded guilty to assault.



Despite Miah admitting breaking a complete stranger's jaw in a bank queue brawl, Mrs Blair refused to send him to jail, claiming: 'You are a religious man and you know this is not acceptable behaviour.'



Last week, the Office for Judicial Complaints said 'no disciplinary action was necessary' even though Mrs Blair had flouted an Appeal Court ruling that no religious belief should have special protection in law.



Last night a letter emerged revealing that Mrs Blair - who sits under her maiden name Booth - would not be formally disciplined.

But it admitted she would receive 'informal advice from a senior judge' - an embarrassing rap across the knuckles.

The letter said that Lord Chancellor Ken Clarke and the Lord Chief Justice Igor Judge had expressed 'some concern about the impact [of the comments] on the public perception of the judiciary and the sentencing process.



'All judges must, of course, be very mindful of how they express themselves when dealing with sensitive issues of equality and diversity - including religion, race and sex - so as not to create the impression that some individuals can expect more leniency than others.'



It added: 'They have agreed, however, that Recorder Booth should receive informal advice from a senior judge about the comments she made in this particular case, but that is not a formal disciplinary sanction.'



Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, said: 'This has the feeling of a cover-up. Why did the OJC put out such a partial and misleading statement about this case?



'Why didn't it make clear that there were concerns about Recorder Booth's comments? Then it tried to silence the complainants by heading its letter to the NSS as "Restricted".



'We welcome them stating their concern that remarks should not be made in court that could be thought to imply that defendants should be treated differently because of their religion or belief.



'This is a timely reiteration of the fundamental of justice that everyone should be treated equally by the courts whatever their religion, or lack of it.'

