To Doreen Lawrence — indefatigable campaigner for justice following the murder of her son Stephen — has gone the honour of a seat in the House of Lords. But is it really such an honour to join the shabby institution that is our Upper House?

The range of party donors, lobbyists and political cronies elevated with her in last week’s list makes this question an appropriate one. True enough were the words of the commentator who observed that the nominations would not look out of place in a “developing world country dictatorship”.

But no less of an issue than who is going with her to the Lords is who is already there.

Last Tuesday, when leaks about Mrs Lawrence’s honour were first carried in the press, newspapers were also reporting that Vicky Pryce, former wife of Chris Huhne, had been stripped of her CB. Her being jailed for accepting Huhne’s speeding points had “brought the honours system into disrepute”. Ms Pryce is far from alone in enduring this indignity. And yet, because it is constitutionally difficult to deprive a person of a peerage, jailbirds enjoying the enviable privileges of this far greater honour are permitted to go on doing so. Most famously, this group includes that odious jerk and liar Jeffrey Archer. Disgraceful expenses fiddlers Lord Taylor of Warwick and Lord Hanningfield are others who remain plugged in to the House of Lords trough. Then there is Conrad Black . . .

The situation is manifestly unfair and must be dealt with. This argument has been made by Lord Oakeshott, the Liberal Democrat peer. He was on Radio 4’s Today last Friday talking about the latest list. Defending it was Lord Falconer, whose main qualification for a place in the Upper Chamber was that he once shared a flat with prime minister Tony Blair. Yuk!