Guerin report delivers a fatal blow

A keen tennis player, Alan Shatter had set up camp at the back of the political court for months backhanding a seeming endless number of crises — without, apparently, breaking much sweat.

So, Sean Guerin must have delivered one hell of a smash to force a winner and send the justice minister to the dressing room, dragging his racket behind him.

Mr Guerin has managed to do something that the successive controversies had failed to do.