In his statement, Mr Straw rejected the allegations against Lord Hoffmann as a reason to stop extradition proceedings.

ECONOMIST: The Pinochet case

Nevertheless, Lord Hoffmann's link to Amnesty has clearly given the general's lawyers valuable ammunition in the legal battles ahead.

ECONOMIST: The Pinochet case

Lord Hoffmann's blunder has cast a harsh light on Britain's highest court, and raised serious doubts about whether the Law Lords will be ready to deal with the wave of controversial cases expected after the Human Rights Act comes into force, probably next year.

ECONOMIST: The law: Judging the judges | The