PAGE35WINTER2010/11toProfumo,BrinksMattothehorrific'BabesintheWood'case,aswellasbeingattheheartofgovernmentasaConservativeMPduringtheThatcherandMajoryears.Sotheideaofpeacefulcruisingholidayneverreallyheldmuchofanappeal,untilhewasinvitedtogiveatalkonaFred.Olsencruise."Ididn'texpecttolikeit,"recallsSirIvan."ItwasacruiseofabouttendaystoNorway,andIthought,well,I'llgiveitago.Fred.Olsenprovidedasizzlingsuite,andwereallyenjoyedtheexperience,despitethefactIwassea-sick.WearenowconvertsandwehavebeentotheCaribbean,Madeira,theCanariesandIhaveseenplentyoftheBayofBiscay.IhavetosaythatnowIreallyenjoycruising."Thestaffarefantastic,especiallythewaytheyhelptheolderpassengers.Theyarealwaysingoodspirits.""Theaudiencesforthetalksareastonishinglyfull,mostlypeopleofacertainagewhoenjoyawalkdownthelegalmemorylane.ItisamazingtodiscoverhowmanypeopleonboardtherearewhoselivesIhavetouchedinsomeway:solicitors,barristers,judges,prisonstaff,constituents,childrenofconstituentsandfamilyfriends."IwassunbathinginMontegoBay,whenamanaskedifIrememberedhim.HetoldmeIhaddefendedhiminthe1960sand1970sforarmedrobbery."Tomostthiswouldbeabitdisconcerting,butprobablynotforsomeonewhowasonRonnieandReggieKray'sChristmascardlist.Itishardlysurprisingthatthetalksarepopular.SirIvanwasafirst-handwitnesstosomanyheadlinecasesinthelastfiftyyears.Nowaregularonthecruiselines,hisitineraryoftalksvariesfromhislifeofcrimeasadefender(orrecorder),tohislifeinpoliticsasanMP.ThetalksgeneratesomanyquestionsfromtheSirIvanhadtopointoutthathehadrepresentedtheKrays,butthatdidn'tmeanhewasafriend!audience,hesometimesjusthostsaQ&Asession.Thequestionhealwaysgetsaskedishowcanhedefendtheindefensibleandhowhisconsciencefeelsifhegetsadangerouscriminaloffacharge,knowingthathewilloffendagain.SirIvanquotesDrSamuelJohnson:OppositePage:SirIvanwithMargaretThatcherandhiswife,Gloria.Above:SirIvanwithGloriaanddaughter,Rachel.

PAGE36WINTER2010/11'Alawyerhasnobusinesswiththejusticeorinjusticeofthecausewhichheundertakes,unlesshisclientaskshisopinion,andthenheisboundtogiveithonestly.Thejusticeorinjusticeofthecauseistobedecidedbythejudge.'TothisSirIvanadds,"Wehavetohaveadefenceforpeoplewronglyaccused.Peopleoftenlie.Policeofficersmaybelievetheyhavetherightperson,buttheyaren'talwaysright.""IamalsooftenaskedabouttheKrays.WhenIfirsttookontheircase,achargeofblackmail,Ihadnoideawhotheywere."IonlyrealisedhowimportanttheKraytwinswerewhenIsawthenumberofpressreportersgatheredoutsidethecourt."TheywereacquittedintheblackmailtrialandthreeyearslaterherepresentedRonnieKrayagainwhenhe(andothers)werechargedwiththemurderofGeorgeCornellandJack'theHat'McVitie.Thetwinsweresentencedtolifeimprisonment,butsoonafterSirIvanwasrepresentingthemagainonthechargeofmurderingFrank'MadAxeman'Mitchell.ThistimethecourtfoundtheKraystobenotguilty.RepresentingtheKraysalmostwreckedSirIvan'spoliticalcareer.WhenheappliedtobeaConservativecandidate,therewereconcernsthatashewasafriendoftheKrays,hemightnotbeasuitableapplicant.SirIvanhadtopointoutthatherepresentedthembutthatdidn'tmeanhewasafriend!SirIvanwasn'ta'friend'oftheKraysbuthehasalwayshadafascinationwithcrimeandjustice."IfirstbecameinterestedincriminaljusticewhenIwasintheAirForce,"saysSirIvan,"Ireadbooksandbecameinterestedinthechallengeofpersuadingjuries.Thereisthemoralaspect-itisawonderfulfeelingtosavesomeonefromafalseimprisonment."Insuchalongcareer,IaskedSirIvanwhichhighlightsstandout."MyproudestmomentswerebeingthefirstmemberofmyfamilytoattendOxfordUniversity.Iwasproudtobecalledtothebar,proudtobeaQC.MyproudestmomentinpoliticswasintroducingaPrivateMembersBillfortheNationalLottery.IbelievethepolicywasabigfactorinJohnMajorgettingre-elected.Ithasraised£24billionforgoodcauses."ButdoesSirIvan,actuallybuylotteryticketshimself?"Ofcourse.Ialwaysbuytickets-£10everyWednesdayandSaturday.Idogettheoccasionalwin,butittendstobe£10."Perhapsabigwinonthelotterywillpayoffthemortgage-butIdoubtitwouldstopSirIvanworking.SirIvanwillbegivingatalkontheBoudiccaChristmasCruisetotheCanaryIslands(CruiseD1028).SirIvanLawrence'sbiography,MyLifeofCrime,ispublishedbyTheBookGuild,£17.99,andwillbesoldonboardthecruise.SirIvanhasoftenbeencaricaturedinthepress.ThecartoonabovenbyGeorgeGaleshowshimasaHomeAffairsspokesmanwithRobertMaclennan(LiberalDemocrat)andTonyBlair