'Judges aren't out of touch - we push our own trolleys'

Judges are not out of touch with the rest of society because they push trolleys around supermarkets and travel on public transport, the Lord Chief Justice said last night.

The comments by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers were aimed at countering recent media attacks on judges accused of imposing lenient sentences. He said: "We do not live on run-down estates, but we do travel on buses and Tubes, we push trolleys around supermarkets, we have normal family concerns and commitments - and neither are judges immune from the impact of crime."

Rather than being confused by modern culture, the work of judges, said Lord Phillips, gave them an "insight into what is happening in all sectors of society." He described some recent newspaper campaigns as "intemperate, offensive and unfair".

Lord Phillips also called on politicians to understand that the job of the judge was to apply the law objectively.