Crony row over Lord Chancellor's job offer

The Lord Chancellor was at the centre of a cronyism row today over the appointment of a close friend to one of the most senior positions in the judiciary.

Lord Falconer has reportedly chosen Sir Mark Potter, 64, his former "pupil-master", to replace Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss as president of the high court's family division.

Sir Mark's appointment to one of the four top jobs in the judiciary has allegedly angered Britain's senior judges.

The four heads of the high court division, who include Dame Elizabeth and Lord Woolf, the Lord Chief Justice, are reported to have recommended Sir Matthew Thorpe to take over the post.

However, Sir Matthew, a senior court of appeal judge with years of experience of family cases, will instead become deputy of the family justice division.

Sir Mark's appointment raises echoes of Tony Blair's appointment of his former pupil-master Lord Irvine to the post of Lord Chancellor in 1997.