Bar Council investigates Cherie Booth over lobbying of MPs on Iraq vote

Cherie Booth QC is being investigated by her professional body over a claim that she lobbied female MPs before a crucial vote in the House of Commons on whether to go to war with Iraq.

The Bar Council's complaints commissioner, Michael Scott, has written to Ms Booth asking her to respond to the allegation made by a member of the public.

Ms Booth, a prominent human rights barrister and wife of the Prime Minister, has told Mr Scott that she has no case to answer.

In her reply, seen by The Independent, she says that the charge against her, widely reported by the media, is "factually incorrect". She adds: "This is not the only experience I have had of the media printing rumours as truth." She also tells Mr Scott that even if she had canvassed wavering MPs before the critical vote of 18 March such action would not have constituted a breach of the Bar's rules.

Ms Booth argues that because the complainant, Ruth Hoult from Doune, near Dunblane, is not one of her clients she cannot rely on a rule that regulates the way barristers discharge professional duties.

Ms Booth concedes that a wider rule governing the general behaviour of barristers could cover the allegation that she canvassed MPs. But on this, she says: "I deny that the alleged conduct can be described as 'dishonest' or 'discreditable to a barrister' or 'prejudicial to the administration of justice'."

Ms Hoult said the reason she brought the complaint to the Bar was because she "took exception" to Ms Booth's "double standards - acting as a defender of human rights and Amnesty International supporter, and yet promoting the prosecution of a war".

In May, the former lord chancellor Lord Irvine of Lairg dismissed a similar complaint against Ms Booth. His decision to take no action followed a complaint that Ms Booth's political activities were incompatible with her role as a judge.

Lord Irvine ruled that when she was alleged to have canvassed the MPs she would have been acting as the Prime Minister's wife, and as a supporter and prominent member of the Labour Party, not in her capacity as a judge.

He stressed that Ms Booth's judicial post of recorder was part time. "In common with other part-time judicial post-holders," said Lord Irvine, "recorders only hold office while actually sitting judicially. This being the case, recorders are not subject to the same restrictions on political activity as full-time judges."