SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Disgraced judge Constance Briscoe is out of jail Constance Briscoe, who was sentenced in May to 16 months for trying to pervert the course of justice, has already been let out of prison on parole. She cut a dejected figure as she went walkies near her Clapham home. It wasn't only the dog that was on the leash, as Briscoe is compelled to wear an electronic tag as part of her release scheme. When Briscoe was convicted, the judge said the verdict marked a personal tragedy for the author and barrister. Both on a leash: Constance Briscoe, who was sentenced in May to 16 months for trying to pervert the course of justice, has already been let out of prison on parole and was spotted walking her dog near her Clapham home Once a pillar of the legal establishmnent, Briscoe, 57, was one of Britain's first female black judges. But, this summer, she was found guilty of lying to police on behalf of Chris Huhne's former wife Vicky Pryce during the investigation into speeding points-swapping by the couple. Former Lib Dem cabinet minister Huhne and Pryce were each jailed for eight months last year after it emerged Pryce had taken speeding points for Huhne in 2003. Both were let out on parole early after a couple of months. Briscoe, who colluded with Pryce to leak details of the points swapping to the media, was given double their sentence. Not only did she lie to police, she also tampered with court documents to maintain her account of events. Briscoe, 57, was one of Britain's first female black judges, but was found guilty of lying to police on behalf of Chris Huhne's former wife Vicky Pryce "Home detention curfew provides an opportunity for low-risk offenders to be resettled into the community while subject to a strict set of licence conditions," says a Ministry of Justice spokesman. If an offender breaches their licence conditions, they can be recalled to prison. To be placed on home detention curfew, a prisoner must be serving more than three months and less than four years, and have served a quarter of their sentence. It is thought that Briscoe, who was removed from the judiciary in August, will write her prison memoirs. She had a big hit with her bestselling misery memoir, Ugly, in which she claimed to have had an abusive childhood at the hands of her parents. But her family insisted the book's claims were lies. Briscoe has two children from a relationship with lawyer Adam Wilson QC. Her long-term partner, Anthony Arlidge QC, left her for a younger woman in 2010. "She and Anthony bought a house in France together and she has talked of going to live there," says a friend, "but she can't go abroad while on parole." Just days into her new job as Lib Dem minister at the Home Office, Lynne Featherstone concedes working with Theresa May won't necessarily be a bed of roses for her either. "Theresa and I worked together before - and we didn't agree on anything," Featherstone told me at the Stonewall Awards. Her career in politics has not been without personal cost. "I've been divorced for 20 years and hardly ever been out with a man," moaned Lynne, 62. My husband left me for a younger and less attractive woman and since then I've been on my own. Nobody ever asks me out! And finally... news anchor Suchet gets daft new look Always immaculately dressed as one of ITN's anchormen, John Suchet is happy to cut a more shambolic figure. The 70-year-old Classic FM presenter posted a picture of himself in an old T-shirt, red-rimmed glasses and luminous children's hair decorations on social media at the weekend. "With the grandkids," he said. No respect. ITN anchorman John Suchet (right) posted a picture of himself in an old T-shirt, red-rimmed glasses and children's hair decorations (left) on social media at the weekend after spending time with his grandchildren The Beethoven scholar and his wife of 29 years, Bonnie, 72, have five grown-up sons from previous marriages. John, brother of Poirot star David Suchet, bravely spoke out in 2009 about the Alzheimer's disease that Bonnie had suffered for three years. "I have gone from being her lover to her principal carer," he admitted. When I hug her, it's almost a gesture she doesn't recognise.