London: Lord Jeffrey Archer will be stripped of his peerage and banned from the House of Lords under a legislation expected to be introduced in the next session of the British Parliament.

The government intends to change the law to force peers who are convicted of a crime to give up their titles and their seats in the Upper House.

Lord Falconer told 'The Telegraph, the legislation would have retrospective effect.

It will leave 63-year-old Lord Archer facing the prospect of losing the life peerage he was awarded by John Major in 1992.

Lord Archer was released from an open prison last week after serving half of a four-year sentence.

British MPs who are convicted of a crime and sentenced to at least 12 months in prison must resign their seat but the requirement does not apply to members of the House of Lords.

Agencies