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| Judge Constance Briscoe found guilty of lying to police in Chris Huhne speeding scandal | Judge Constance Briscoe found guilty of lying to police in Chris Huhne speeding scandal |
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| One of the country's top black judges has been found guilty of lying to police investigating the Chris Huhne speeding points scandal. | One of the country's top black judges has been found guilty of lying to police investigating the Chris Huhne speeding points scandal. |
| Constance Briscoe denied trying to pervert the course of justice but was convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey on Thursday. | Constance Briscoe denied trying to pervert the course of justice but was convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey on Thursday. |
| The 56-year-old did not react in the dock as the verdict was delivered after five hours of deliberation. | The 56-year-old did not react in the dock as the verdict was delivered after five hours of deliberation. |
| Mr Huhne, the Liberal Democrat’s former energy minister, and his ex-wife, Vicky Pryce, were both jailed after it emerged that she took driving penalty points for him in 2003. | Mr Huhne, the Liberal Democrat’s former energy minister, and his ex-wife, Vicky Pryce, were both jailed after it emerged that she took driving penalty points for him in 2003. |
| Briscoe, who has been suspended from her work as a barrister and part-time judge since her arrest in October 2012, was accused of making inaccurate statements to police about her contact with the press about the speeding story. | Briscoe, who has been suspended from her work as a barrister and part-time judge since her arrest in October 2012, was accused of making inaccurate statements to police about her contact with the press about the speeding story. |
| She was set to be a witness in Ms Pryce's trial but was dropped after the arrest as she could not be "relied upon as a witness of truth", police said. | She was set to be a witness in Ms Pryce's trial but was dropped after the arrest as she could not be "relied upon as a witness of truth", police said. |
| The first charge alleged that between May 2011 and October 2012 she provided police with two statements that were inaccurate and the second charge alleged she claimed an altered copy of her witness statement was correct in October 2012. | The first charge alleged that between May 2011 and October 2012 she provided police with two statements that were inaccurate and the second charge alleged she claimed an altered copy of her witness statement was correct in October 2012. |
| A third charge alleged that between October 2012 and 8 October last year she deliberately got an expert to view the wrong version of her witness statement. | |
| The jury at her first trial at Southwark Crown Court failed to reach a verdict and a retrial was ordered. | |
| Judge Jeremy Baker will sentence her on Friday. | Judge Jeremy Baker will sentence her on Friday. |
| The speeding scandal led to Mr Huhne's resignation from the cabinet and eventually from his post as MP for Eastleigh. | |
| He initially denied the allegations but admitted perverting the course of justice in February last year. | |
| In a statement released after Thursday's verdict, he said defendants that Briscoe prosecuted for the Crown Prosecution Service could seek a review. | |
| He added: “There is also an issue for the bar and the judiciary..the Bar, the Crown Prosecution Service and the judiciary went on entrusting her with responsibility for people's lives because they were not prepared to blow the whistle on one of their own.” | |
| Briscoe is also known for her memoir Ugly, about abuse at the hands of her mother through her childhood in south London. | |
| Detective Inspector John McDermott, who investigated Briscoe with Kent Police, said the verdict showed no-one was “above the law”. | |
| He said: “In her roles as a Recorder Judge and as a barrister, if anyone should understand the importance of preserving public justice it should be Constance Briscoe. | |
| “In failing to co-operate with police, she very nearly had a detrimental impact on the convictions of two other people in relation to a historic speeding offence. | |
| “Had it not been for the hard work of the officers in these cases, the offenders may never have been convicted. | |
| “The overwhelming evidence uncovered by officers meant the jury had no choice but to find Ms Briscoe guilty. Today shows that no one is above the law and perverting the course of justice is a serious offence.” | |
| Additional reporting by PA | Additional reporting by PA |