Lord Archer's troubles began with what he says was a case of mistaken identity, and ended with him in the dock at the Old Bailey. This is the timetable of events:
Tuesday, September 9th, 1986, 12.45 a.m.: A lawyer, Aziz Kurtha, says he saw a man he recognised as Lord Archer, then deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, going into the Albion Hotel in London's Victoria with a prostitute. He contacts the News of the World.
October 26th, 1986: The newspaper publishes picture of Archer's friend Mr Michael Stacpoole handing prostitute Monica Coghlan an envelope full of money, on Archer's behalf.
That same day Archer resigns as Tory deputy chairman and issues a statement saying he had never met Ms Coghlan, but that she had telephoned him and he gave her money to escape the media attention.
November 1st, 1986: The Daily Star, after speaking to Ms Coghlan's nephew, publishes a story implying that Archer did have sex with her.
November 5th, 1986: Archer launches libel action against Express Newspapers and Star editor, Lloyd Turner, and a second action against the News of the World.
December 23rd, 1986: The Daily Star enters a defence but it contains the wrong date, the early hours of September 10th.
January 1987: Archer invites Mr Ted Francis to dinner. He asks him for an alibi for September 9th, 1986.
April 6th, 1987: The date error is spotted and the alibi is no longer needed for that day.
April-May 1987: Archer gives secretary Mrs Angela Peppiatt a blank A4 size 1986 diary to fill in with entries for Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th. She makes copies. She also makes photocopies of entries he has made in the office Economist diary.
July 6th, 1987: Start of action against the Star. Archer's film agent, Terence Baker, says he was with Archer in the early hours of September 9th.
July 20th, 1987: Archer wins the case and is awarded a record £500,000 in damages.
1992: Archer becomes "Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare of Mark in the County of Somerset".
October 1999: Mr Francis approaches public relations consultant Mr Max Clifford after Archer is declared London mayoral candidate.
November 4th, 9th and 12th, 1999: The News of the World tapes telephone conversations between Mr Francis and Archer.
November 20th, 1999: News of the World says it is printing a story. Archer issues statement standing down as mayoral candidate. He says he needed an alibi for the Tuesday evening to protect a close female friend, whose identity was known to the newspaper.
November 21st, 1999: The News of the World and other newspapers name Archer's woman friend as Ms Andrina Colquhoun. It was later found she was abroad at the time.
January 2000: Tories expel Archer for five years for bringing party into disrepute.
April 7th, 2000: Archer is arrested by police.
July 19th, 2001: Archer is convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice.