High Court judges may no longer be able to live in a luxury Sussex manor when hearing cases away from London.

The Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, wants to curtail their right to stay in extravagant lodgings, such as the historic Telscombe Manor, near Lewes.

It costs taxpayers more than £10,000 a week to put up judges at the house when hearing cases at Lewes and Hove Crown Courts, even though it is left empty for about 30 weeks a year.

Facilities include chauffeur-driven cars, butlers and full-time chefs to cook dinner parties.

The building, which is expensive to maintain because it is so old, is one of the most costly lodgings for the judiciary in the country.

After a ministerial review of what has come to be seen as an expensive perk, Lord Irvine has decided to sell off some of the 32 lodges, many of which are listed houses with extensive grounds.

Judges will be encouraged to commute from home or stay in hotels instead.

It is not known whether Telscombe Manor is on the hit list. Even if the house stays open it is likely facilities will be scaled-down in an attempt to save money and make the judiciary more in touch with ordinary people.

Lewes MP Norman Baker has campaigned to see the manor sold off.

He said: "This is a major concern of mine. I think the days of gardeners, butlers and chauffeurs are long gone, it's like something from a bygone era. Even the cost of transporting judges to Lewes to attend court is absurd. I don't see why they can't put them up in a good hotel in Lewes for a fraction of the cost.

"The house should be sold and the money should be given back to the taxpayers. There's something a bit wrong about a legal system which pays for a judge to stay in accommodation like this when members of my constituency can't get legal aid."

The findings of the report are expected to be published early next year, but a spokesman for the Lord Chancellor said no decisions would be made until the judiciary had been consulted.

He said ministers did not intend to close down all the lodgings because in some places judges needed somewhere secure and private to stay.