He highlighted that the UK does not imprison British citizens who have "not been charged or convicted of a criminal offence".

BBC: Labour questions TPims as terror suspect absconds

The report said that only one of the 21 priests against whom an allegation was made was convicted of a criminal offence.

BBC: Dr Joseph Duffy was Bishop of Clogher for 31 years

Mr Thomson would be disqualified from parliament if he was convicted of a criminal offence that carried a jail term of one year or more, Australian media reports say.

BBC: Australia MP arrested on 150 charges of fraud

Conservative Simon Kirby wanted to know if the proposals would include measures to create "parity" between the Lords and Commons in terms of the expulsion of members who are convicted of a criminal offence.

BBC: Clegg urged to 'stop wasting time' on Lords reform

He tabled a motion calling for the government to bring forward legislation to enable peers to retire, to end by-elections for hereditary peers, to remove members convicted of a serious criminal offence and to put the House of Lords Appointments Commission on a statutory footing.

BBC: Steel calls on ministers to introduce interim reforms

At the conclusion of the debate, peers voted in favour of a motion tabled by Lib Dem peer Lord Steel calling on the government - but not compelling it - to introduce interim reforms to enable peers to retire, to end by-elections for hereditary peers, to remove members convicted of a serious criminal offence and to put the House of Lords Appointments Commission on a statutory footing.

BBC: Lords reform debate: part three

Last week Jack Straw, the home secretary, spelled out his plans to allow the seizure of assets belonging to people suspected, but not actually convicted, of a criminal offence.

ECONOMIST: The law

It added that players would continue to be considered for England while police investigations were on-going, with their situation looked at on a case-by-case basis were they to be convicted of a serious criminal offence.

BBC: Gerrard receives Benitez backing