LONDON - And there they sat, next to each other in the dock, an empty chair between them in the courtroom. One of Britain's leading economists and her politician ex-husband. In the late afternoon of March 11 the judge sentenced both of them to eight months in prison: him for asking her to take his speeding points in 2003 and her for agreeing to do so.

What a disgrace. Not only for the former couple, who made their marriage break-up such a public spectacle. Let’s not even discuss Chris Huhne, who ran off with his press advisor a.k.a. “bisexual mistress” in 2010. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2-289890/Vicky-Pryce-trial-Even-Chris-Huhne-gave-stepdaughter-away-Greek-wedding-begun-fateful-affair.html).

His wife called the “Sunday Times” in revenge and told them their pitiful crime: Huhne had forced her to take his speeding points. Both of their professional lives have been ruined: his career in the LibDem hierarchy is over, his minsterial post gone, his job in parliament, too. And Pryce, who recently still eyed the finance portfolio in the government coalition, will have trouble getting employed at all.

Bad judgement to incriminate herself in the first place by seeking revenge. But the Greek-born Pryce was obviously too hurt to think straight. She now faces 2 months in prison and 6 on probation with home curfew and tagging for one of the most idiotic crimes one can possibly commit: taking speeding points for a husband who later turns out to be a cheater. Poor woman. Did the judge not realise that she has suffered enough with her ex-husband and does not need more punishment?

It is, however, also interesting to see that in Britain a crime like this is being punished with eight months in prison. Is this legal system not taking itself too seriously? What use is it to jail Pryce? As an economist friend of hers said in the first shock moment of the ruling on Radio 4: “Is this good use of our tax money?”

The judge probably wanted to use them as example to prevent further speeding point swaps. But one thing is for sure: Vicky Pryce is in no danger of re-offending. She would probably rather die than lie for her ex-husband again.

Here a link to an interview with the Sunday Times journalist who encouraged Pryce to “get the story out”:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21732971

And this is how the widow of former foreign minister Robin Cook sees the hard life of the wives of politicians:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/mar/08/vicky-pryce-chris-huhne-political-marriages