Peers challenged the lord chancellor over the size of his salary on Friday

A bill introduced by Lord Goodhart attempted to cut the £202,000 salary of Lord Irvine of Lairg.

Lord Irvine faced a wave of public criticism after it was revealed he was set for an inflation-busting £22,000 rise.

The increase came as a result of an obscure convention which states he should earn more than the lord chief justice

The deal would have given him a salary of nearly twice any other cabinet minister.

The lord chancellor later announced he would not be taking the rise - but this has failed to silence his critics.

In the debate, Lord Goodhart attacked the idea that a member of the government's pay should be decided by an historical anomaly.

"The role of the lord chancellor is changing. He hardly ever sits as a judge," he said.

"Indeed, under the European Convention of Human Rights, the lord chancellor cannot sit on any case in which the government has an interest."

"His department is changing. The one function which distinguishes it from other departments is the appointment of judges.

"If that is eventually handed over to an independent judicial appointments commission, the department would effectively be a ministry of justice and need not be headed by a lawyer."

Irvine was also criticised after it emerged that he is also set for a £3 million pension deal.